Bulma's Suggestion Box
by Nate Grey
Summary: The debate is over. The most powerful Earthling isn't Tien or Krillin. It's Bulma. You've seen her use money to solve problems. Now watch Bulma use her mind to make Universe 7 a better place to live. C5: The question isn't whether Dyspo resembles Beerus, it's why he does.
1. Chapter 1

Notes: I gave the gods a pass on Majin Buu. At the time, there was no god in canon that could stop him. But Zamasu was different: he was a rogue god, thus entirely their responsibility to stop. He was powerful, but by no means the most powerful god. So it is not that the gods couldn't stop him. It's that they didn't.

I'm primarily using Japanese terms to describe the gods' titles, so a quick rundown: Daishinkan - Grand Priest. Kaioshin - Supreme Kai. Dai Kaioshin - Grand Supreme Kai. Hakaishin - Destruction God. Kaio - Kai.

* * *

 **Bulma's Suggestion Box**

 **A Dragon Ball Super Fanfic by**

 **Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

* * *

"How long has it been, Beerus-sama?"

Beerus opened one eye. "You mean since either of us have had to meet with that Kaioshin so much in such a short period? Never. I'm positive that it's never happened before. Not unless you've been sneaking over to visit him while I was asleep."

His attendant Whis made an amused sort of noise, one that he only seemed to make when Beerus was not amused at all. "Things are changing for us, aren't they?"

A snort was the answer. Beerus refused to dignify the statement with more of a response than that.

All too soon, Whis tapped his staff, both to announce their arrival at their destination, and to wake Beerus, if he had been napping along the way.

"I'm sure I don't need to remind you to behave, Beerus-sama," Whis said. "You know that harming anyone here could be catastrophic for you."

"If you're sure you don't need to remind me, why did you just do it?" Beerus muttered.

Whis pretended he hadn't heard. "Hello!" he called loudly.

Almost immediately, the Kaioshin hurried to greet them, followed closely by his attendant Kibito. Bringing up the rear was the Elder Kaioshin, and while he had nearly every excuse to move slowly, he still moved faster than most his age had a right to. Clearly, the importance of the gathering was lost on no one.

Greetings were quickly exchanged, and the Kaioshin thanked Beerus and Whis for coming so far.

This was entirely unnecessary: there were faster ways to travel that were easily available to Beerus, but he had chosen Whis over them all. The reason was simple: he expected to leave this meeting with a headache, and he would need the time on the trip back to cool down, or else he risked destroying his own home in a rage. Also, he did not want to depend on anyone for transport who would refuse to leave at a moment's notice.

"Before we get started," Whis said, "what is that wonderful aroma I detect? It smells so familiar."

"We took the liberty of ordering some food from Earth," the Kaioshin explained as he guided them to the meeting room. "I believe that is the 'hot fudge' from the 'make-your-own-sundae-bar' that you are smelling. It came heavily recommended."

Whis smiled. "I will have to remember to thank Bulma-"

"You're very welcome, Whis-san," interrupted a new voice.

Whis paused and turned his head.

Standing in front of the sundae bar, holding a large spoon and grinning like a shark, was Bulma.

"Whis. This was a setup," Beerus noted.

"Agreed." Whis frowned. "Though... they do have hot fudge, Beerus-sama... and cherries!" The last part came out as sort of a whine.

"I suppose it can't hurt to hear them out," Beerus added, wiping the start of drool from his mouth.

Bulma gave him a smug loook. "Help yourselves, gentlemen. Once everyone has decided on their first course, we can get started."

Whis gaped at her. "First? Are you telling me that we get to do this more than once?"

Bulma laughed. "Yes, I am, Whis-san."

Slowly, Whis knelt before Bulma, took her hand, and kissed it. "Dear lady. I am, now and forever, your servant."

Bulma glanced at Beerus, expecting a complaint, but he was already piling ice cream into a bowl. "You can have him if it means more for me!" Beerus called over his shoulder.

* * *

Earlier that day, when the Kaioshin had arrived at Capsule Corporation to pick up Bulma and the food, she had told him exactly what she planned to do.

For a moment, he had been absolutely terrified.

Once she got him to calm down a little and reminded him why he himself was in no danger, he at least stopped shaking. Bulma had not been able to dismiss his fears completely, however, and she understood why.

She was essentially challenging the gods, one of whom was the Hakaishin himself. Beerus would arguably be well within his rights to kill her if she misspoke. And he could probably do so in a way that would make it impossible for any set of Dragon Balls to revive her. But if he did, it would only prove Bulma's point about why things needed to change, and fast.

So as she stared at the small collection of gods seated before her, Bulma steeled herself. It was dangerous, but if she didn't do it, there was no telling what losses they might suffer during the next crisis, or the one after that.

"Before I explain the true purpose behind this meeting," she began, "I need to make sure that I have some facts straight." She turned to the Kaioshin, who froze like a deer caught in headlights. "You once told me that before Majin Buu came along, there were five Kaioshin guarding this universe, including you. Is that correct?"

"Yes," the Kaioshin said slowly.

Bulma turned to Beerus. "And I heard that every Kaioshin is linked to a Hakaishin. Is that right, too?"

Beerus glared at her. "Goku has a big, fat, non-secret-keeping mouth."

Bulma smiled at him. "Why are you so concerned about us knowing, Beerus-sama? It's not like we'd ever kill the Kaioshin. He's our friend, and more importantly, it's not like we have Kaioshin to spare anymore!"

"You wouldn't kill him on purpose, but I've seen the trouble Goku gets into, and I know for a fact that all of his mortal friends have been killed at least once. And don't think I didn't hear about that one giving his life to Goku." Beerus jabbed his finger at the Elder Kaioshin. "So from where I'm sitting, even gods aren't safe from Goku's idiocy. The last thing I want is the Kaioshin getting the idea that sacrificing himself might be a good thing."

"Rest assured that I would never do that so thoughtlessly, Beerus-sama," the Kaioshin said. "It is not just my life I would be discarding. I would certainly consult with you first."

"You mean like you did when Majin Buu almost killed you?" Beerus sneered.

The Kaioshin blushed. "I have apologized for that several times now."

"Yes, and I don't ever recall saying I forgave you, so just keep it in mind for the next million years or so."

Bulma coughed lightly to regain their attention. "There's just one more fact I need to confirm, if you don't mind, Beerus-sama?"

Beerus sighed. "Yes, what is it?"

"If every Hakaishin is linked to a Kaioshin, and there were once five Kaioshin guarding this universe, then surely that means there were once five Hakaishin assigned to this universe as well?"

This question was met with a prolonged, tense silence.

"Am I mistaken?" Bulma asked. "If I am, and there was only ever you, Beerus-sama, then I will need to scrap my whole-"

"There were," Beerus muttered, as if he had tasted something foul.

Bulma looked shocked. "Wait. You mean... there were five? But how can that be? You alone seem so... efficient? Why would any universe need five of you?!"

"It didn't. And I like to think that's why there aren't five anymore."

"But... Majin Buu!" Bulma protested. "He killed the Kaioshin! And the other four Hakaishin in the process!"

"I'm aware," Beerus replied calmly. "He did me a huge favor, doing that. I suppose I really should have owed him for that, but then he had to go and get selfish with the pudding."

"Then... you wanted Buu to destroy them? Weren't they friends? Family? Comrades?"

"No to all. I hated those idiots, and I can't say I've ever missed them. If not for the pudding incident, I might have considered asking Whis to train him up one day. He might have done well as the Hakaishin for some substandard universe, anyway."

"I... I see," Bulma said slowly. "This changes everything. No, it confirms everything I feared."

"Oh, really?" Beerus asked, making no attempt to hide his curiosity. "And what did you fear?"

"Ever since Majin Buu's first rampage, which claimed the lives of eight different gods, this universe has been greatly understaffed! And I'm thinking that's exactly why Zamasu was able to do so much damage to the future timeline! Because there were only so many gods left to stand against him! Doesn't that make all of you furious?! Or at least concerned?!"

There were a few exchanged glances between the gods, but not one seemed to share Bulma's concern.

"Bulma-san," the Kaioshin began gently in an obvious attempt to soothe her. "I am beginning to understand how things must seem from your perspective. But as it is a human perspective, there are many things you do not understand about the gods, and a wealth of information that you are not privy to. So you cannot possibly even begin to-"

"It's Zeno-sama, right?" Bulma interrupted.

The Kaioshin's face went white, and the other gods in attendance also tensed.

"It is, isn't it? He's the one who can appoint new gods, and he's the one who didn't do that for some reason. I'm right, aren't I?"

"D-Don't be silly!" Kibito laughed nervously. "What would make you think that?"

Bulma frowned at him. "Several things. First of all, Zamasu was an apprentice to Gowasu-sama. But I never got the impression that Zamasu was assigned to him. It sounded more like Gowasu-sama picked Zamasu personally for that role. Which suggests that Kaioshin are allowed to pick their successors. I'm sure the higher-ups have final say, but the Kaioshin at least get to suggest a candidate. And I'm thinking the same applies to Hakaishin, based on what Goku and Vegeta have told me about Beerus-sama making them offers, and Whis-san agreeing to train them. But based on the way that all of you react anytime someone even says 'Zeno', then he must have the power to dismiss any of you at a moment's notice. So it makes sense that the only being who could prevent those empty slots from being filled is him."

"It is as you say," the Elder Kaioshin said at last. "There have been attempts to replace those fallen gods, but each time, we are... discouraged from doing so. But in a way, that is the highest honor: that Zeno-sama clearly believes that two gods are capable of carrying the workload."

Bulma shook her head. "Somehow, I'm not so sure the gods that Zamasu murdered in the future timeline would agree with that."

"Bite your tongue, Bulma-san!" the Kaioshin cried. "You are questioning Zeno-sama now!"

"Maybe it's because I'm human, but I just don't understand any of this. I run a huge company, and if I lose eight highly-valued employess, I replace them as soon as possible with eight other employess, if not more. Now that I've met Beerus-sama, the idea of even one Hakaishin other than him makes no sense to me. Maybe that's because, as a human, I don't like to think about so much of the universe being destroyed when I've seen so little of it. But that's exactly why, as a human, the idea of four Kaioshin not getting replaced for so long terrifies me. I would never be so bold as to accuse Zeno-sama of being wrong. But from a human perspective, there have been too many gods slain, and no reaction to those deaths. There were so many times when we would have been lost without our Kaio-sama. A Kaioshin must be even more vital, even if most humans aren't aware of it. How can it possibly be that this universe continues to function without those valued gods? How can you be so sure that leaving their posts empty didn't in some way make it easier for Zamasu's evil to succeed in the future? I have no right to request this, but I want to understand. When my family and friends stopped Buu, at the time I thought we were so lucky. But now that I know there were gods far more powerful than Buu, and I have to believe there was a reason they didn't stop him. And yet, Zamasu was a god who betrayed and murdered other gods. If that, too, is no cause for concern for Zeno-sama, then... I'm scared. For me, and for all of you, who I would like to think of as friends one day. You're gods. You're supposed to outlive me easily. You aren't supposed to die, and certainly not in such large numbers all at once. And that's why I need to understand."

Beerus snorted. "You honestly think you can count me among your friends?"

Bulma frowned at him. "Maybe not, but I'd rather have you here, and not wake up one day to find you'd been replaced by some muscle-bound thug that can't be reasoned with."

"Do you really think I, or Zeno-sama, would allow that?" Whis asked.

"That's my point: I have no idea what he is thinking. Suppose he has you replaced next, Whis-san? Or the next Hakaishin does? Or worse, you both get wiped out and he doesn't replace either of you, and the next time we really need something destroyed, there's no one to do it? Where does that leave us? Unless you were serious about being my servant, I don't have a lot of confidence that we could do anything about such a situation."

Whis sighed. "To be clear, you suspect incompetence because eight gods have been lost in this universe, and not one was replaced?"

Bulma nodded.

Whis stared hard at Beerus.

After a long moment, Beerus snapped, "Fine, I lied!"

Bulma blinked. "About which part?"

"There were never five Hakaishin here, only me. All the Kaioshin are linked to my life. Which is why I don't want the last one dying."

"So you're admitting you'd prefer there were more Kaioshin? For security if nothing else?" Bulma asked.

Beerus nodded. "Now that I've met Goku, I wouldn't mind it. But it isn't my call to make. And we've already told you why we can do nothing about it."

"Would you be opposed if I tried to do something about it?"

"If that involves you trying to change Zeno-sama's mind, don't even think about it. Say the wrong thing and you could get this universe erased."

"But that could happen anyway, if we're still down four Kaioshin when the next big crisis comes along," Bulma pointed out. "Besides, it's not like I'm going to march up to Zeno-sama and start yelling, I have some tact. I'll just make some very polite suggestions."

* * *

Bulma was not kidding. It took a few days to arrange and prepare for, but the next time that she hosted a sundae bar on the Kaioshin's world, there were some extra special guests.

Zeno did not show up, and Bulma would have been shocked if he had. In his place, however, he sent the Daishinkan, who was his main attendant, and who also happened to be Whis's father. Given that, it seemed rude not to invite Vados. But as having both Beerus and Champa in the same room was sure to cause a fight, and Beerus insisted on being present (both for the ice cream and to ensure Bulma did not overstep), the invitation was extended solely to Vados, who made some excuse to Champa. She certainly didn't tell him that she was going to a meeting where there would be dessert, and that he wasn't invited.

Again, Bulma served the sundaes first, to get everyone in a good mood. It worked. Whis particularly enjoyed serving his father and sister, and making suggestions on which toppings they might enjoy. Beerus had looked especially grouchy at the start, but once he had a few bowls worth in him, he mellowed considerably. Bulma kept him well-supplied with cherries and hot fudge, just in case. She didn't want anyone leaving this meeting sealed inside a sword.

Bulma was trying to decide how best to start the discussion when Vados suddenly walked over and leaned down to whisper in her ear.

"You are a very brave woman, Bulma-san. I commend you, and not just on your excellent desserts. I can assure you that you are in no danger of being destroyed at this meeting, but even so: tread lightly, or at least respectfully. I am told that you are unsatisfied with the way the gods rule your universe, but trust me: if the gods should turn away from you, you will be far more than unsatisfied."

As Vados moved away, Bulma looked up and realized that all eyes were now firmly fixed on her. She cleared her throat and decided to just dive in. "When I planned this event, I never imagined that you would all agree to attend. You each honor me with your presence, and I can't accurately express how grateful I am to you all. Even if your main reason for coming was the food, I'm still very glad you're here."

"Whis has been bragging about your desserts to anyone who would listen, and quite a few who refused to," Vados volunteered with a smirk at her blushing brother. "It's not the only reason I came, but that alone was worth the trip for me."

Whis looked as if he might retort, but the Daishinkan opened his mouth to speak, and both of his children instantly fell silent and looked to him.

"I have very few chances to see Vados and Whis these days, and certainly not together. So I welcomed any event that would give me the opportunity. For that, you have my thanks, Bulma-san. Perhaps I can repay you by addressing some of your concerns. I was given the impression you had some suggestions you wanted to run past me?" He smiled in a way that was both inviting and somehow very perceptive.

Bulma gaped at him. Somehow, the Daishinkan seemed to know exactly what she was planning. At that point, she strongly suspected that he already knew most of her suggestions. But he had invited her to present them, so she was going to.

"Please forgive my ignorance, but I had just one question first: what is it that you do, exactly?"

He chuckled. "That is a rather long list, but to keep it simple? I serve Zeno-sama. Among my duties is welcoming and escorting guests. I also expel intruders and guests who have... worn out their welcome. Also, as in the case of this meeting, I represent Zeno-sama if he is otherwise occupied, and then relay to him the events I have witnessed."

Bulma's eyes gleamed in triumph. "Would it be fair to say that you have Zeno-sama's ear, then?"

Another smile. "More accurate than fair, I should say. It is not an exaggeration to say that Zeno-sama values my opinion. But there are times when he will not listen to me, if he feels passionately enough about something. In those times, I do not think he will listen to anyone. Not even a childhood friend of his good friend, Son Goku. Which is unfortunate."

Bulma blinked, not sure how to take that. "So if I happen to suggest something here today that you agree is a good idea?"

The Daishinkan nodded. "I will, of course, mention it to Zeno-sama. Although depending on the nature of the suggestion, I may or may not mention that it came from you."

Bulma smiled. "If it gets the idea to him, I don't care who takes credit for it. Thank you very much!" She shot a smirk at Beerus, who made a point of not looking at her. This seemed to amuse the Daishinkan.

"I have agreed to express your ideas, if I hear one I approve of. But I have not approved of one yet, Bulma-san," he reminded her. "I haven't heard any at all."

"Oh, right! Sorry! Well, in light of recent events, I think this first suggestion makes a lot of sense. I was hoping you might consider the creation of a position for a god of time."

The reaction to this was immediate and noteworthy: the Daishinkan smiled. He did that a lot, Bulma noticed. But this time, so did all the other gods, even Beerus, which was just weird.

"Please, go on," the Daishinkan said. "This idea... interests me."

"Really?" Bulma asked, growing excited by the encouragement. "Well, I can't pretend to know anything about how gods are appointed, but I did have some ideas about the position itself. As you may all be aware, a future version of myself built a time machine. I'm now aware that this was illegal, but at the time, she was desperate for a solution, and she wasn't in regular contact with any gods that could help her. And yet, I still think time travel was the only solution to her case. So I would want a god of time that patrolled the time-streams, and evaluated requests for time travel on a case by case basis."

The Daishinkan blinked. "You are suggesting that the god of time should hear public requests for time travel, a forbidden act?"

"No, no!" Bulma cried. "I'm not saying that just anyone should be able to walk up to a god and ask permission to time travel! But I am saying that a warrior, who has proven himself to be on the side of justice, who has sacrificed everything to defend his planet, and who would happily aid the gods if they asked him, should not be out of options just because he isn't strong enough to defeat a threat. And I don't think it should ever get to a point where time travel is the only option. Which is all the more reason for there to be a god who could have prevented Zamasu from reaching the future in the first place. So if there was someone with pure intent that needed to time travel, maybe the god of time could offer them... I don't know, a temporary time pass? Or some sort of escort that would allow them to time travel, but not to impact anything that they shouldn't?"

"This idea," the Daishinkan said slowly. "I will have to think more on it, and explore it later on my own."

Bulma hesitated. "What does that mean?"

"It means that you have given me much to think about, Bulma-san. Do not misunderstand me: this is not a dismissal. Call it... inspiration. Yes. You have inspired me. Please, I am anxious to hear your next idea."

"This next one is less an idea, and more a clarification that may lead to an idea. Beerus-sama mentioned he couldn't go to the future and destroy Zamasu. I can imagine why a Hakaishin wouldn't be allowed to time travel. But there was a time when Zamasu, as Goku Black, came here from the future. Would it have been forbidden for Beerus-sama to destroy Zamasu then?"

"I do not believe I have enough information on the incident to answer that," the Daishinkan said. "I would have to ask Beerus-sama to share his judgment on the matter."

Beerus frowned at Bulma. "You are not as clever as you think you are, you know. If you wanted to know why I didn't destroy him then, you could have just asked me."

"And if you weren't in the mood to tell me, or thought it was none of my business, would you have?" Bulma asked.

"No. But you could have asked. Yes, I could have destroyed Goku Black the moment I saw him. But the only thing I knew for sure then was that he had a Time Ring and Goku's face. Had I destroyed him, we would have learned nothing, and it would have in no way stopped the Zamasu in the future."

"I understand that," Bulma said. "But what I'm asking is if it would have been allowed for you to destroy him, with only that little to go on."

Beerus shook his head. "You have the wrong idea. There is nothing and no one I am forbidden to destroy. That is my purpose, after all: to destroy. However, there are a few things and beings that I would face grave consequences for destroying, so I do not. If I had believed Goku Black to be impersonating a god, or known that he had slain even one god, I would have taken immediate action. But I did not have enough information to make either of those assumptions, and had I destroyed him then, I never would have gotten that information."

Bulma nodded. "In that case, I do have a suggestion. An addition to your current laws, since I'm almost certain that this very situation isn't covered. A god that witnesses anyone, especially another god, participating in an activity that goes against the laws of the gods, should either take immediate action to prevent further law-breaking, or immediately report it to the appropriate god who can."

Beerus smirked. "You realize that means if I catch you meddling around with time travel again, I'm supposed to do something about it right away?"

Bulma blushed. "Yes, well, now I know it's a crime. And if you accept some of my other ideas, I should never need to time travel without permission again."

"May I ask what inspired this idea, Bulma-san?" the Daishinkan asked.

"It's something Zamasu said. He claimed to have killed all the gods in the future. How could that be possible? Surely at least one god must have sensed another being slain, and warned someone else. Which leads me to another idea. There should be an automated warning system in place. Any time a god expires, either through natural or unnatural means, every god in that same universe should be alerted and know the circumstances of the death. I have to believe that since multiple gods died against Majin Buu, and even more died against Zamasu, that the current system, if there is one, is in dire need of an update."

"This," the Daishinkan said slowly, "is an idea I agree with. Yes, I will certainly bring this to Zeno-sama. It is true that our means of communication are rather dated, while yours seem far more efficient."

Bulma grinned at him. "I'm so pleased that you agree! If you like, I can show you some of my company's products! I'd have to retool them for god use, but I love a challenge!"

"Are you actually trying to make a sale?" Beerus demanded.

"Of course not! No charge for gods who don't threaten to blow up Earth," Bulma said pointedly, drawing a scowl from Beerus.

The Daishinkan chuckled. "Was there more, Bulma-san?"

"Oh, yes! I think it would be wise for the gods to have increased protection. Even if he was stronger than them, Zamasu should not have been able to take them all down with only one partner helping him. One attendant each simply isn't enough. Unless that attendant is Whis-san, and clearly that wasn't the case. And since it wasn't, I think each god should be assigned a bodyguard who has at least gotten some training from someone at Whis-san's level. Even one such being would have been enough to stop Zamasu, so there's no way he would have gotten through several of them."

"What a bold idea," the Daishinkan murmured. "I do not know if Zeno-sama will agree to it, but I can certainly see the benefits. I will bring this to him, as well."

"Excellent!" Bulma cheered. "Then I just have one more suggestion, and maybe you can ignore it, if you get the warning system up and running. I'm not sure how often gods do this, but I think an annual scan of their territory to check for new potential allies and threats is a must. Kaioshin-sama was shocked by the power of the Saiya-jin when he met them. But if he had been watching them as much as Kaio-sama has, then he wouldn't have been surprised at all. Oh, and I got the distinct impression that those two had never met before, so that needs to change. Better communication can really improve our security in this universe."

The Daishinkan nodded. "I agree. Some of us have been out of contact for far too long. You have many useful ideas, Bulma-san, and I would like to explore them. I believe the best course of action would be to test them in your universe first. If they prove successful, then I will not only have an idea to take to Zeno-sama, but an idea with proven results."

"Great! But you won't get in trouble for testing them without permission, will you?" Bulma asked.

"It is kind of you to worry, but no. This type of thing also falls within my many duties to Zeno-sama, I assure you. Very few beings speak with him directly, more for their own safety. I also feel the need to point out that as they are the ruling powers within your universe, you will need to coordinate your efforts with your Hakaishin and Kaioshin. I am merely stating that if your ideas prove effective, I will be happy to take them to Zeno-sama."

Bulma risked a glance at the two gods. Beerus looked somewhat grumpy, which she could understand because she'd basically gone over his head. The Kaioshin, however, seemed thoughtful rather than upset. Apparently he was giving at least one of her ideas a great deal of consideration. That was fine. Bulma expected she'd be dealing more with Whis than Beerus, anyway. And Whis looked composed, as usual. Kibito looked more like he was trying not to have a fit, which Bulma assumed was because the very idea of a human even in the Daishinkan's presence was sacrilege to him. She wondered if maybe Whis putting him through some training might loosen him up. If she had her way, she might even get the chance to find out.

* * *

Years Later

The tricky thing about having kids, Bulma had discovered, was that a first in no way necessarily adequately prepared you for the second. Trunks had been spoiled but easily managed, due largely to both admiration and fear of his father.

Bra was not afraid of her parents. Or at least, she did not fear them as much as a standard four year-old would. And this was because, nearly every day of her life, she had been told something. Something that Bulma never would have thought to say to a child, and certainly not one born into a wealthy family, at least not so frequently.

It was all Vegeta's fault. Because unlike other fathers, when he told his daughter that she was a princess, he really meant it. And Bra believed everything her father said.

Princesses didn't get in trouble. And even when they did, it was never for long, because they were princesses. Everyone forgave princesses.

Sort of. Marron and Pan hadn't come over to play for a whole week after Bra had called them peasants. Thankfully, Bra had realized her error on her own and apologized. Bulma had noticed that Bra was not quite as bossy around them anymore, and that Marron, as the oldest and most even-tempered, generally decided what they would do, which was for the best. Pan generally wanted to train, which was fine for her, but Marron preferred to only watch, and Bra tended to avoid things that got her dirty, thank goodness.

So this afternoon's playdate had been canceled: Pan had gone with Goten to train in the mountains, and Marron had gone shopping with her parents, which left Bra to tag along with Bulma. Fortunately, Vegeta had also explained to Bra that princesses were dignitaries, so she was unusually accustomed to entertaining guests. This worked out nicely for Bulma, who often had meetings and could take Bra along without too much fear of embarrassment. She never had to worry about Bra misbehaving in general, but there had been a few occasions where Bra had become outraged that someone doubted her royal blood. And in those cases, anyone Bra called a peasant was getting off easy, as far as Bulma was concerned.

Today's guests were easier, in that Bra had met them before, and was arguably comfortable with them. Or rather, she seemed comfortable with arguing with them, so it was a mixed blessing.

"Remember: keep it civil," Bulma warned as they approached the conference room.

Bra glanced up at her with a frown. "I'm a princess. I'm always civil."

"On second thought, keep it nice. Your civil comes off as offensive. So does your nice, but not as much."

"They started it!" Bra protested.

"You asked what they did, and they told you. It wasn't a contest until you made it one. So, for the last time: be nice."

Bra pouted and said nothing as they entered the conference room, where their two guests were standing at the windows, taking in the sunlight. The first guest was of average height, female, and wore a red Kaioshin vest with yellow trim over a pink undershirt and matching pants, secured by an orange sash. The second guest was green-skinned, tall, male, and wore white robes over a blue undershirt, along with a brown turban-like hat.

"Sorry!" Bulma apologized, bowing to them. "Did we keep you waiting long?"

Bra remained silent and certainly did not bow as the guests turned to face them. She only bowed to people that her father was afraid of. Which to date was pretty much anyone at Hakaishin rank or above. Although she could be convinced to bow to Bulma on each of their birthdays.

The female guest smiled. "I consider it a blessing to be able to bathe in the sun's light once more, Bulma-sama. I have you to thank for that. You may keep me waiting as long as you wish." She turned her gaze to Bra. "It's lovely you see you as well, Bra-sama."

Bra grinned. "Wassup, Pinky and Not-Piccolo."

"Bra!" Bulma cried angrily. "That's no way to speak to a Kaioshin and her attendant!" She turned to them and bowed again. "I'm so sorry, Kaioshin-sama, Pikkon-san. It will never happen again."

"We are accustomed to young Bra's opinion of us," the West Kaioshin said with a twitching smile. "It's not a problem."

"I do not mind being compared to Piccolo," Pikkon agreed. "He is a worthy opponent, and I make time to spar with him whenever I visit this planet."

"Still, Bra knows better than to be rude to friends," Bulma insisted, glaring at her daughter.

"Better she be rude to friends who will forgive her, than to strangers who will not," West Kaioshin suggested. "In any case, we are not offended. And I would not expect your daughter to hold her tongue, when it is that very same trait in you that is responsible for me being here at all, Bulma-sama."

"Yes, well, that was different. I was being rude to Kaioshin in order to better my universe. Bra is only doing it because she's a brat."

"Princess brat," Bra corrected smugly, earning another glare from Bulma.

"Bra, can you please do something that doesn't involve you talking for a few minutes?"

"I have an idea," West Kaioshin said. "Bra-sama, if you can climb to the top of Pikkon's hat without falling, I'll give you a treat from the last planet I visited."

Bra's eyes gleamed at the thought of having an otherworldy prize. "Don't move!" she ordered, pointing at Pikkon.

Pikkon stared at her blandly.

Bra seized his ankle and begin to climb, slowly but with obvious determination.

Bulma leaned over to whisper in West Kaioshin's ear. "Did you ever think when you were feeling her kick inside me, that she might turn out like this? Be honest. And if you did, why didn't you warn me?"

West Kaioshin smiled. "As you know, Kaioshin do not generally intefere in mortal affairs unless there is an undeniable need."

"And you didn't think I needed to know that I was carrying a brat?"

"You are a very intelligent woman, Bulma-sama, but also rather stubborn. If a god had come to you and warned you against having your son, would you have taken it as well-meaning advice, or a deity trying to control your life?"

"Fair point, but you've met Bra. She's no Trunks."

"True, but thanks to your son, I try not to underestimate any of your children."

"Sure, flatter the one I didn't physically give birth to," Bulma sighed. "So, you're here for an update, I assume. How are things?"

West Kaioshin beamed at her. "Pikkon has made great strides in his training. Whis says he hasn't had a student so eager to learn since Goku. It will take Pikkon some time to reach Goku's level, but he is far more determined than I first imagined."

"And Maraikoh?"

The smile vanished. "He is not progressing as quickly, mainly because he thinks he doesn't have to. That should change if someone other than Pikkon embarrasses him in a fight."

"Embarrasses, or totally humiliates? Because for a few cases of pudding, I could get Buu to flatten just about anyone."

West Kaioshin shook her head. "Maraikoh remembers Majin Buu. He is not quite that deluded. No, I am sure Whis will be able to suggest someone. You know, I have evens started taking lessons from him mys-"

"NO FAIR!"

Both women turned to see Bra, pouting fiercely as she hung upside-down by one foot. Pikkon was holding the aforementioned foot and doing his best not to seem pleased.

"He moved!" Bra complained. "I was almost at his hat and he moved!"

"I don't recall that not being allowed," Pikkon answered.

"Yes, it was! I told you not to move!"

Pikkon arched an eyebrow. "And who are you to order me?"

"I'm the princess of all Saiya-jin!"

"And I am the attendant of the West Kaioshin, who rules over the entire section of the universe that your home planet and its people reside in. I don't take orders from you."

"He's got you there, Bra," Bulma agreed.

Bra glared at her mother. "You're supposed to back me up!"

"I'll be happy to, when you're actually right about something."

* * *

Bra's sixth birthday party was nearly over. Bulma had dashed into one of the rarely-used labs to bring out Bra's last gift: a hovercar that was based on the design of Future Bulma's time machine. It would never time travel, of course, but it was nice to look at it and recall.

That was the plan, anyway. But when Bulma got to the lab, there was a man already there, inspecting the hovercar with a frown.

"You can't really be meaning to send another kid into the time-stream, kaa-san?" he asked.

Bulma stared at him. "You're... Trunks?"

He smiled. "You don't recognize me?"

Bulma continued staring. It was Trunks... sort of. He had to be in his mid-thirties, at least. And his body was more solid. Not with muscle, but with the kind of pounds that came from not fighting for his life daily, and living in a time where peace was abundant enough that people were allowed to gain weight freely. She liked the glasses and lab coat, though. At least he hadn't just been sitting on a couch somewhere.

"Am I too old for a hug?" he asked.

Bulma blinked and slowly moved closer. "It's just... you've changed so much."

"You haven't," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "You're just the way I remember you."

Bulma smiled into his shoulder. "It's one of my best features. And not that I mind, but why are you here? Please don't tell me a world, universe, or timeline is in danger again?"

"No, nothing like that. I got special permission to visit, just for a few minutes."

"A few minutes?!" Bulma cried, outraged. "Why in the world would you time travel just to see me for a few minutes?! Do you have any idea how restricted time travel is around here?!"

He grinned. "I wanted to show you something. I thought you'd get a kick out of it." He removed what looked like a laminated card from his pocket and handed it to her.

Bulma quickly scanned the card, her eyes widening. "Wait. Is this really...?"

"A temporary time pass."

Bulma's head jerked up, and she stared into his eyes eagerly. "Wait! Does this mean there's a god of t-?"

"Whoops, look at the time, gotta go, love you, kaa-san!" Trunks said in a rush, winking at her as he abruptly turned transparent and then vanished from sight.

"Hey, wait!" Bulma cried, but he was already gone... and his temporary time pass was still in her hand. At least, it was until it suddenly became transparent, and then vanished as well.

Bulma checked the lab immediately. There was no sign at all that Trunks had been there, so there was little point in telling anyone. Well, that wasn't entirely true. There was one sign he had been there, but Bulma didn't realize it until nearly a week later, when she was polishing Bra's hovercar and noticed a message scrawled on the side, which read, "Bra-chan's Non-Time Machine. Behave yourself, kaa-san."

Bra thought it was hilarious. Of course, she also thought her present brother had written it, and to go along with this, Bulma took his allowance away for a week. It wasn't fair, but she was sure he'd done something she didn't know about at some point.

* * *

The Daishinkan and Zeno had tea parties for just the two of them twice a week, if time allowed. It gave the Daishinkan a chance to update Zeno on anything he had been unable to see to personally, and allowed them to remain close friends.

As the Daishinkan had suspected, Zeno had been reluctant about some of Bulma's ideas, but he had seen the wisdom in others. So he had granted the Kaioshin permission to revive only one other Kaioshin with the Super Dragon Balls. The West Kaioshin had been selected. The Daishinkan found it curious that she had been the one, rather than the Dai Kaioshin, or the South Kaioshin, who had been among the strongest of them.

But within just a year, the Daishinkan, too, began to understand the choice. Upon learning that Bulma had been the driving force behind her revival, West Kaioshin had become Bulma's most vocal supporter. She had eagerly recruited West Kaio's top two students as her bodyguards, and sent them to Whis for training. She was also always one of the first gods to test Bulma's latest technology, including a video conference device that kept her in regular contact with East Kaioshin (a title he was still re-adjusting to) and West Kaio.

Even now, West Kaioshin was viewed as a bit unusual for embracing mortal ideas so frequently. But the Daishinkan could not blame her, as it was a mortal idea that brought about her revival in the first place. And there were several gods who had their mortal vices: North Kaio and his love of cars, Beerus and his new preference for Earth foods. And given how much Bulma had done in service of both Earth's and the universe's stability, it was hard to say that she was a bad influence on any god.

And the Daishinkan was not concerned about Bulma being too influential for one very simple reason: Zeno had not deviated from his overall plans for Universe 7 at all. If anything, he was now more determined than ever that they remain on track. So it was rather surprising that he had allowed the revival of a Kaioshin at all, as it seemed counterproductive. But he was nothing if not patient. Eventually, everything would fall into place.

At some point, the two Kaioshin would die. Beerus and Whis would go with them. And that would leave Universe 7, for the first in ages, in need of a new Hakaishin.

And Zeno already had one picked out.

* * *

Goku had to be asked several times before he agreed. Honestly, being a Hakaishin just didn't sound very interesting, what with all the sleeping Beerus did. Then it was explained to him that he didn't actually have to sleep as much as Beerus did, and that certain allowances could be made so that the job would be a more comfortable fit.

First and foremost, Goku didn't want to get bored or lonely. He was allowed and even encouraged to keep Whis as his attendant. But just one companion wasn't enough, so Goku was allowed to move in his immediate family, once they were ready. Except he needed a sparring partner, so Vegeta and his family got to move in as well. And before long, people who really had no legitimate reason to be there, other than they knew Goku, had moved in. This didn't bother Goku at all.

Being a Hakaishin was a great deal of fun. There was lots of travel involved, so he got to meet all sorts of different people. And when there wasn't enough fighting for his taste, he only had to go home and fight Vegeta. They had to set up a pocket dimension for such fights though, and Whis got tired of doing it, so Bulma invented a machine to do it for him.

Perhaps because Zeno thought Goku had worked out so well, when it came time to find a new Hakaishin for Universe 6, Goku suggested Buu, and Zeno listened. Others were against it, but once Goku pointed out how similar Buu was to both Beerus and Champa (easily controlled by food, rather grumpy if anyone got in the way of eating, and good at blowing up stuff), it was difficult to argue. It could also be seen as Buu repaying his debt to the gods, as well as drastically reducing the odds that someone like Zamasu could emerge in Universe 6, since long naps got in the way of eating as far as Buu was concerned. Vados agreed to stay on as attendant because, once again, it wasn't all that different from what she was used to. If anything, Buu had even less imagination than Champa, so he was easier to handle.

Except, of course, when Buu and Goku got together, they ran into the same problem that Beerus and Champa had: they inevitably started fighting each other. Not because they were siblings and eternal rivals, as those two had been, but because there were so few in their league, it was hard to get a decent fight out of anyone else. They had tried to track down Beerus in Other World for that very reason, but he had either ceased existing entirely, or was just hiding from them extremely well.

 **The End.**

* * *

 **Endnotes:**

I don't actually believe this is the reason why the four Kaioshin were not replaced. But even a somewhat silly reason is the only one I was able to come up with. So maybe Zeno is of the opinion that they need a new breed of god, who originated from some place other than where Kaio and Kaioshin do. Maybe that's why he is so interested in Goku.

And for those interested, I use the name Bra solely because I can't stand the name Bulla. And this from a person who convinced himself to go from Bolt to Boruto, so that should give you some idea of how resistant to this I really am.

Relax, I am not ignoring GT, though I suspect some might be fine with that. Goku would become a Hakaishin at some point after he flies off with Shenron. And all those people I mentioned moving in would more than likely have halos.

I will give DB Super credit for giving the gods a much-needed shot in the arm. But in trying to mesh the canon of Z and Super, they've opened up some plot holes of varying sizes. I'll be discussing some of them here. They are long, so skip them unless you're extremely interested in my rant on various plot holes.

 **Lasting Impact of Majin Buu:** One of the biggest problems in adding Beerus and saying he's been around virtually forever is justifying why he did nothing both times when Majin Buu ran wild on the universe. Even if you make the case that as a Hakaishin, Beerus would have seen nothing wrong with a demonic force that destroyed nearly everything it encountered, there's an issue. In both of Buu's rampages, he specifically targeted Kaioshin, who were linked to Beerus's existence. So even if Beerus was asleep at the time, Whis should have woken him up in order to have him deal with Buu. And if it left Beerus in a bad mood, so what? Better he be mad, than dead. Anyway, Buu was defeated, but not before destroying four Kaioshin. And I use the term 'destroy' specifically, because they haven't been seen since, so it's not as if they're in the same state as North Kaio, dead but still functional. They are gone. Which leaves Universe 7 with one official Kaioshin in East Kaioshin, and one unofficial (or at least arguably inactive) in Old Kaioshin. To go from five active Kaioshin to one and a half is a considerable loss.

 **Lifelink Confusion:** We are only specifically told that Beerus is linked to East Kaioshin. But that's rather random, that the Hakaishin is linked solely to the East Kaioshin. The most sensible implication is that Beerus was linked to all active Kaioshin, but with East Kaioshin being the only survivor of the group, he is Beerus's last link left. But again, there is an issue: Old Kaioshin. Beerus was around 15 generations previous to seal away Old Kaioshin. At the time, Old Kaioshin presumably was active, and thus linked to Beerus, which is why Beerus did not kill him. Sealing Old Kaioshin effectively made him non-functional without killing him. So if that did not nullify his link to Beerus, then surely the next East Kaioshin appointed in his place did. Which brings up an interesting point: Old Kaioshin should no longer be linked to Beerus. Note that Beerus is concerned solely about East Kaioshin surviving, and doesn't spare a thought for Old Kaioshin. Which to me suggests that East is the last Kaioshin linked to Beerus, which also means that Old Kaioshin is not, or at least is not any longer since he is not an active Kaioshin. I think much of the confusion is a choice of wording. If you're familiar with the manga Ah! My Goddes, they have a similar system where every individual goddess is linked to an individual demon, which I originally thought was the case here. But it is more accurate to say that the active Kaioshin were balanced against the Hakaishin, rather than linked to. The idea that they come and go as groups is misleading: if that were actually the case, Beerus would have become inactive when Old Kaioshin's generation did, but that is not the case. What is most accurate is that if all active Kaioshin are destroyed, so is the Hakaishin. And as there is only one active Kaioshin, that is why Beerus is so worried about him surviving. As he should be, since their future counterparts did not survive, specifically because the East Kaioshin was mortally wounded, and as he was the last, that was the end of Beerus as well.

 **Lack of Communication:** In the dub, North Kaio flat out says that he's never seen the Kaioshin before. He's met Beerus, but not the sole Kaioshin left. The implication is that Beerus, one of the less active gods, still gets out more than the Kaioshin does. And maybe that's just because Whis is a better attendant than Kibito, as Whis can get Beerus to do things he wouldn't on his own, while Kibito is more of a yes-man. North Kaio and the Kaioshin never having met also indicates that the Kaioshin, up to that point, had not been paying close attention to Earth, despite what he claimed about monitoring Majin Buu's ball. He would have known exactly how strong the Saiya-jin were if he'd been paying attention to Earth (or if he'd met with North Kaio), and he had no idea. He even said he went to Earth in pursuit of Babidi, clearly without notifying North Kaio despite it being in his territory. This is a clear disconnect between the Kaio and the Kaioshin, possibly even outright disrespect when you get down to it. And it is not an indicator of gods that have a good working relationship, or that stay in even semi-regular contact. I know gods at differing ranks don't meet up often. But that is exactly my point: they should, especially since North Kaio had information that would have been vital to the Kaioshin. And who better to notice strange things on Earth than North Kaio, who often watches it, or Dende, who always watches it? Yet both were bypassed by the Kaioshin, who consequently had no idea what he was dealing with.

 **Inconvenient Rules:** More than once, the rules of the gods get in the way of them stopping Zamasu. Things such as Hakaishin not being allowed to time travel, or gods staying out of mortal affairs, make perfect sense. But there are some rules that seem designed more to get in the way than anything else. Consider angels: they are powerful enough to keep a Hakaishin in check. Yet they generally cannot awaken a Hakaishin that is sleeping, nor are they allowed to take part in combat, outside of training. This, while annoying, at least answers the question of why Beerus nor Whis interfered when the Kaioshin's life was endangered fighting Babidi: Beerus was likely asleep, and even if Whis had been watching, he wouldn't have been allowed to do anything about it. At the same time, there are rules that Beerus has no problem bending or outright ignoring. He repeatedly claims that mortals should not depend on gods to solve their problems. True enough, since the gods don't even seem willing to solve their own problems, which are numerous. And yet Beerus is used as comic relief in that he can be instantly summoned for food, making him a more convenient answer to Buu. I also don't agree that his classification of a rogue god that kills both other gods and mortals is a mortal problem. Especially since even if he had agreed it was a god problem, Zamasu had already killed the gods in the future timeline, so even if it was their job to stop him, there was nothing they could have done about it.

 **An Example of Failure:** The manga goes into greater detail as to how Goku Black came to power in the future timeline: he specifically searched for a timeline where Beerus would be unable to stop him. And he finds one, where the Kaioshin dies immediately after fighting Dabura and Babidi. And since here the Kaioshin is again the last active one, Beerus and Whis die as well. And Goku Black only watched it happen. In other words, even if the Kaioshin had survived the battle, Goku Black would have immediately killed him. But Goku Black only watched, so just by letting things play out naturally, he found a timeline where both the Kaioshin and Hakaishin of a universe were a non-factor. This is a perfect example of why the current reduced population of gods is risky, exposes the gods to extreme danger, and puts mortals in even more danger. Anyone strong enough to kill the one Kaioshin can rule the universe. It's true that this timeline had suffered more damage than the current one, but it had the exact same upper-tier gods that the current timeline does. And ultimately, the solution was to erase the timeline entirely, because too much irreparable damage had been done to the universe. There is no better example of why the way the gods operate at present must change.

 **DB Super Episode 68:** This entire episode was devoted to the idea of possibly reviving North Kaio. That is an odd concept, because the only notable differences between him being alive or dead are his halo, and that the other Kaio make fun of him for being dead. But even if he were alive, they would just find another reason to tease him, as they are a highly competitive bunch. Being dead seems to in no way prevent North Kaio from doing his job. Especially compared to the Kaioshin who no longer exist in any form and thus cannot possibly be doing their jobs. So even though North Kaio deserves to be revived for all he's done, I still feel that it would be a better idea to revive a Kaioshin. Or at least to find out why no one, mortal or god, seems interested in replacing them and restoring balance, so that bad guys like Zamasu can't exploit the imbalance.

 **God of Time:** I do not expect a god of time to ever be mentioned on any Dragon Ball show. At this point, it would really be a bad idea, given how often time travel has been abused. If a god of time were introduced, we would have to accuse them of sleeping on the job more than even Beerus. Why, that would almost be like introducing an Omni-King that only seems to do his job when summoned. And then he just goes overboard and wipes out everything, including the stuff he should be trying to save. Oh, wait.


	2. Gohan's New Job

Notes: This was just going to be a one-shot, but I think I will use this story to address certain issues that arise in DB Super that I find... questionable. Both in how they unfolded, and in that nobody asked Bulma's opinion, seeing how she's one of the smartest people they have access to. As before, I will save my rant for the end of this chapter. That way you can skip it if you're so inclined. I like to think my Gohan gripe is a bit different from what most people are mad about. Anyway, this chapter begs the question, why isn't Gohan working at Capsule Corp? For that matter, why isn't everyone?

Chapter Summary: Gohan loses a job he doesn't need because of a part-time job that he didn't want. If only he was a close friend of someone who ran a massively successful company, knew his family's history, and could give him abrupt paid vacations when he has to save the planet.

* * *

 **Bulma's Suggestion Box**

 **A Dragon Ball Super Fanfic by**

 **Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**  
 **Chapter 2: Gohan's New Job**

* * *

It was simply not a good day to be Son Gohan.

He had barely had time to finish a delicious breakfast, prepared by his adorable wife, and attended by his adorable daughter, when it all began to go downhill. Gohan had just kissed his two favorite girls (he would never admit this to his mother, even though she clearly felt the same way about them) when the doorbell rang.

Gohan opened the front door, only to be faced with the last person he wanted to see: a delivery man with a familiar logo on his shirt.

"Package for you, Gohan-san," the man said, holding out a large envelope.

"Oh," Gohan said, with no trace of surprise or enthusiasm. "Thank you."

"No problem." The delivery man held out his clipboard. "Sign here to confirm the delivery, please."

"Sure." Gohan quickly signed his name. He was halfway tempted to hand the envelope back as a tip, but felt Videl's eyes on his back and decided against it.

The delivery man tipped his hat in farewell, then turned and jogged back to his truck.

Gohan sighed and closed the door, only to turn and nearly run into Videl, who was abruptly in his personal space. Odd, how he had once minded that a great deal. How foolish and young he had been back then.

"Another royalty check?" Videl asked expectantly.

Gohan did not need to open the envelope. The deliveries were always prompt. You could set your watch by them. Some people actually did. As was proven when the phone began to ring.

"Don't answer it," Gohan said. "You know it's her."

Videl rolled her eyes, plucked the envelope from his hand, and immediately answered the phone. "Yes, Bulma-san. It just arrived," she said.

Gohan groaned. Things had not always been this way.

Bulma was a dear family friend. Not so long ago, he had enjoyed talking to her. Still did, in fact. Except on a certain subject.

The Great Saiyaman.

Which she had just sent him yet another royalty check for.

To make a long story short, the Great Saiyaman was a joint creation between the two of them. Bulma had made the costume. Gohan... well, he _was_ the Great Saiyaman. A superhero who saved people from evildoers. Or used to. Now he was limited to private appearances for his family's amusement. Or had been until very recently.

The Great Saiyaman was unfortunately a public figure as well. And since no one had technically owned the rights to the character at the time, someone had gone and made a full-length movie about him. It helped, only slightly, that Videl's father, Mr. Satan, was the co-star, so things hadn't gotten too out of hand. At least not by Gohan's standards, which had at one time included planetary threats.

But to prevent a repeat of this, Bulma had suggested that they purchase the rights to the character. Of course, now it was too late to claim they had invented the Great Saiyaman. Anyone could say that. Fortunately, Bulma was obscenely rich and influential, even more so than Mr. Satan (partially because he was not as wise with his spending habits), so she had purchased the rights in no time. Which effectively meant that the Great Saiyaman legally belonged to her, and by extension, was now heavily affiliated with Capsule Corporation, Bulma's enormous company.

This was not a bad thing. At first. Gohan had not wanted to keep being the Great Saiyaman publicly, and Bulma had not expected or asked him to. But she had asked for approval to set up some merchandising, which Gohan reluctantly agreed to. The next thing he knew, the Great Saiyaman was Capsule Corp's unofficial mascot, and every third kid he passed on the street was either wearing a cape and trash can helmet, or carrying an official action figure.

Bulma had stayed obscenely rich by making the right calls with money, and the Great Saiyaman merchandising line was such a call. The money was rolling in. And she could have kept it all. But she wouldn't be a dear family friend if she were that sort of person. So half of all profits were sent to Gohan every month.

He didn't need the money. Between his own job, Videl's savings, and the frequent cash gifts from Mr. Satan, they honestly had too much money. For the first time, Gohan was not debating if he should buy certain things, but if he should give some away so he would not feel as guilty, since he knew his parents didn't live anywhere near this luxurious.

But Bulma, as a dear family friend, could not be persuaded. She had met Gohan when he was just a boy of four or five, and they had been through so much together since then. It was in her nature to want to help him. So the idea of her, keeping money that he had earned, was decidedly not in her nature.

Gohan appreciated her honesty and generosity. But he hated the monthly reminders that something he no longer had any control over was earning him far more money than his actual job did.

* * *

But then Gohan got fired.

Not for being the Great Saiyaman, thankfully.

No, he got fired for being the Great Saiyaman's _stuntman_ in the movie. Which was insulting on multiple levels.

Gohan had been employed doing research for an admittedly strict professor. Apparently, a part-time stuntman did not project the sort of image the professor wanted his research assistants to have. So he had fired Gohan.

Gohan was stunned. He took a few minutes to pile everything at his desk into a box, and then wandered around town with said box until a car honked at him.

It was Bulma, of course.

"Get in," she instructed.

Gohan had nothing better to do, so he and his box got in.

"I heard you got fired," Bulma said casually as she pulled away from the curb.

Gohan stared at her.

"What? I hear things. You think Mr. Satan is the only rich person who can get information?"

Gohan blinked. "No, I just... forget it. Who told you?"

"Private investigator."

Gohan stared again. "You hired a private investigator to keep an eye on my job?"

"That would be silly, considering you don't have it anymore. I hired a private investigator to keep an eye on you."

"Um... why?"

Bulma smiled. "That is what we rich people do when we want to keep tabs on people who interest us. So, connect the dots, and I keep tabs on you because?"

"I interest you?" Gohan guessed.

"Good, that big brain hasn't clocked out yet. Now, I know you don't need the money, but I happen to be aware of a job opening that is perfect for you. Since you just got fired, I assume your schedule is wide open at the moment. If we hurry, you could have the new job before nightfall, so there would be no need to tell Videl that you lost one. You could just say you were aggressively recruited by a top company."

"That wouldn't be true."

"The part about you being aggressively recruited is, trust me."

Gohan shook his head. "I can't do that. I've always been honest with Videl about money."

Bulma chuckled. "Well, I imagine that is easier, when she has more than you do. Fine, we'll tell her the truth together."

"I appreciate that, but I can handle it on my own."

"Just like you handled that last job situation? No, I think this calls for a woman's touch, Gohan. Trust me."

* * *

If Gohan needed any more proof that they had too much money, it was Videl's reaction to learning that he had just lost his job.

Videl merely blinked, tilted her head slightly, and then asked, "Well, didn't you say that professor was pretty strict, Gohan?"

Gohan gaped at her. "Videl, my boss being a little strict isn't really a reason to be glad I lost my job. I mean, your father was extremely strict when I first met him. If I had given up because of that, we never would have gotten married."

"I think what you really mean to say is if you had given up that quickly, you wouldn't be the sort of man I wanted to marry in the first place," Videl corrected with a smile. "Anyway, I don't see a reason to worry. You know neither of us actually has to work. And if it's a matter of finding another job, your research is valuable. I'm sure you can find someone else who can see that, and is willing to be more flexible."

"I'm glad you have so much faith in me, but I'm afraid that I'll run into the same problem. There aren't going to be many reputable companies that are willing to accept both me and the Great Saiyaman. Or me having been his stunt double."

Videl stared at him in disbelief. "So you would like to work for a reputable company that values your research, is understanding of your past as the Great Saiyaman, and can at least match the income from your previous job?" She tried very hard not to look at Bulma, who was seated next to her and quietly nibbling on a cookie.

Gohan blinked slowly. "That actually sounds pretty perfect."

Videl sighed and shook her head. "If that's really true, Gohan, then tell me something. Why aren't you working at Capsule Corp?"

"Wait, what?" Gohan asked.

"Bulma has known you since you were a boy. She's familiar with your family history, so any quirks you would need to hide from any other employer, she's already seen and prepared for. And not only did she create the Great Saiyaman's costume, she owns the rights to the character, and makes his official merchandise. I don't think she would ever fire you over something she helped you create."

"That's true," Gohan admitted slowly. "But my salary was pretty competitive..."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "Gohan, I can afford to pay you to stay home and do nothing. I can more than match whatever you made at your old job."

"Did your private investigator tell you that, too?"

"No. He told me that I could buy that college and fire the professor who fired you."

Gohan looked at her nervously. "You wouldn't actually do that, would you?"

"Buy the college so that you could keep working there? Of course not. It'd be cheaper and more effective to hire you myself. But fire the guy who fired you? Absolutely."

"Just because we're friends?"

Bulma frowned at him. "You don't have to make it sound like such a small thing, and no, not just because of that. You didn't deserve to be fired. And if you had worked for me, you wouldn't have been."

"But you can't blame him! He didn't know I was the Great Saiyaman when he hired me!"

"You're right. So I should blame you for not informing your boss about your superhero past before he hired you. Hmm, if only you could work for someone who already knew your superhero past and wouldn't fire you over it. What to do, what to do...?"

"You're making fun of me, aren't you?" Gohan asked.

"Just a little," Bulma admitted with a grin.

"But I don't want to be hired just because we're friends."

"That isn't the only reason, Gohan. I would have hired you straight out of high school. You were young and smart and eager, and I could have put you in a hundred different places in Capsule Corp. But you didn't come to me. I was honestly a little hurt. You didn't even ask me for a recommendation. I get that you wanted to make it on your own. But as long as you live, you're either going to benefit from my name, or Mr. Satan's, or your father's. Is that really such a horrible thing? That people who came before you cared enough to leave a mark on the world so that you don't have to struggle as much as they did? Don't you intend to do that for Pan? Wouldn't you want someone you trust watching out for her when it's time for her to find a job?"

Gohan was still doubtful. "You say it's not just because we're friends. But I think you'd hire my whole family if you could."

"Of course I would!" Bulma replied. "There wouldn't be an Earth if you guys hadn't saved it so many times! And do you have any idea how often I've heard your mother complain about her money troubles? Do you know how often I wish she'd swallow her pride and let me help her out? It's not just because we're friends. You guys have saved my life repeatedly, and every time you save the world, you ask for nothing in return, and you get nothing. You deserve to live comfortably, and if I can help you do that, then I'm happy to. What's the point of me having all of this money, if I can't use it to help the people who kept the planet in one piece long enough for me to make that money?"

"But we don't really need the money," Gohan said, "and-"

"Forget the money! You could set your own hours, stay close to home, and you wouldn't have to answer to someone who didn't understand you! Why do I have to sell you on something that's nothing but positives? You could even bring Videl and Pan to work with you!"

Videl blinked. "He could?"

"I could?" Gohan asked. "But what would they do all day?"

"Any number of things! Trunks and Goten are usually hanging around somewhere. Sometimes 18 and Marron drop by to visit. Of course, we have an on-site daycare center for employees, but it would probably be better to leave Pan with Chi-Chi between shifts."

"I thought you said I could set my own schedule?" Gohan asked.

"I didn't mean your shifts, I meant Chi-Chi's. I just hired her."

"To do what?" Gohan asked in disbelief.

Bulma frowned at him. "Gohan, I'm surprised at you! Your mother is an extremely capable woman! Initially, I wanted to hire her as a cook, but she refused. So I talked her into a part-time job. She's going to be teaching a self-defense class for women a few days a week. Videl, you could help her with that. Though, maybe having someone famous involved wouldn't be the best idea. Chi-Chi is still a little skittish about the whole thing, and if the classes are too big, she might quit. And I hope she doesn't, there's a lot of interest in this class. I'd teach it myself, if I were qualified."

"I'm sure I can help out, if there are too many people," Videl offered. "Maybe I can teach on the days that Chi-Chi would rather not."

Gohan frowned. "Is Pan going to have a job, too, before this is done?"

Bulma grinned. "I was just thinking of a new character. How does 'The Great Saiyababy' grab you?"

* * *

 **One Month Later**

Gohan's eyes gleamed as his fingers flew across the keyboard. Though he had been working on this paper for hours, he had just reached a critical point in his theory, and new energy seemed to fill his every keystroke. Just imagining the stunned looks on the faces of the other scholars as they read his research was enough to keep him going for at least another hour, maybe more-

A well-manicured finger tapped a button on his monitor, causing the screen to go black.

Gohan almost cried out in horror, and then did when he noticed the person standing over him with a smirk. "Erasa! Why did you do that?! I was just getting-"

"Up because you've been cooped up in here for hours and forgot to each your lunch again," she interrupted with a pointed look.

Gohan blushed faintly. "Oh. Well, you see-"

"Yes, I do see. Because I've had your lunch sitting on my desk the entire morning, specifically so you would have to come out and get it when you got hungry." She gestured to the multitude of sticky notes hanging from the bottom of his monitor, all of which reminded him that his lunch was on her desk, and all of which he had forgotten in his excitement over the paper.

"Ah. Um, I was a little busy-"

"Gohan. Stop." Erasa sighed, shook her head, and leaned against his desk. "Do you know why I volunteered to be your secretary?"

"Because Bulma pays you way more money than any other secretary you know?"

Erasa frowned at him. "True, but not my point. It's because when I pictured you working here, do you know what image popped into my head? You, sitting at your desk, working through lunch, forgetting to eat, totally neglecting the fact that you work at the same company as your wife, and not even taking a break to go see your cute little girl. Exactly what you're doing right now, Gohan. And do you know why Bulma hired me, specifically?"

"Because Videl and I knew you from high school?"

"Again, true, but not my point. It's because I assured Bulma that despite not being super-strong or skilled in martial arts, I had a way of getting you out of this office and into the fresh air whenever I need to."

Gohan's entire face went red. "Erasa, please don't."

She grinned at him. "Nope, sorry, you practically asked for it."

"I'm a happily married man-"

"Whose wife specifically gave me permission to do this if you went into hermit mode." Erasa's grin grew as she leaned forward into his personal space. "If you don't get out of that chair right now, I'm going to sit in your lap and _kiss_ you."

"I know when Videl told you that, she-" Gohan trailed off as Erasa produced some bright green lipstick and began to apply it to her lips. "Alright, I'm going!" Gohan shouted, leaping out of his chair.

Erasa pouted at him with her now green lips. "Why, Gohan, if I didn't know any better, I'd almost think you didn't want me to kiss you!"

"You enjoy that way too much," he said accusingly. He tried to subtly reach over and save his work on the computer, but Erasa smacked his hand.

"I'll take care of that. You just get out of here. Unless you've changed your mind about that smooch, that is."

Gohan needed no further convincing. The first time Erasa had followed through on her threat, Gohan had found the particular brand of lipstick resistant to all his attempts to remove it before he saw Videl. In the end, he had no choice but to face his wife and admit that he'd worked through lunch again. Without a word, Videl had simply used some sort of makeup remover on his cheek that took all of three seconds to get rid of the stain.

After collecting his lunch from Erasa's desk, Gohan considered where he could actually go to eat it in peace. Since Erasa had mentioned it, he did want to see Pan, only he wasn't entirely sure where she was at the moment. The on-site daycare center tended to be crowded, and Pan rarely went there because she still didn't quite understand the importance of concealing her power. But even after eliminating that option, there were still a number of people in the know that could have been watching Pan, so she realistically could have been anywhere else in Capsule Corp.

Thankfully, Gohan got a huge hint, in the form of his phone beeping. He checked it and felt his heart melt a bit. There was a new picture of Krillin's daughter Marron, holding Pan in her lap, and both girls were laughing. More importantly, the picture had been sent from Videl's phone, and Gohan recognized the scenery behind the girls: they were in the self defense for women class, which was in its late afternoon session.

As Gohan headed for the class, he thought about what a success it had become. Though initially his mother had been the only instructor, after Videl and then Krillin's wife 18 both offered their help, participation skyrockected. Gohan had never considered how many women watched the World Martial Arts Tournament, but two female finalists and a junior champion coming together generated a ton of interest. The possibility of their efforts producing the next top female fighter had even attracted media attention, at first. Videl had to stress before every class that the goal was solely to teach women to defend themselves. That had not deterred several brave women from asking for personal training, but all had been firmly turned down.

A familiar sight greeted Gohan as he approached the former lab where the class was held: Yamcha, peering through the window, leering as he giggled drunkenly. This was, unfortunately, allowed to some extent. For all Yamcha's claims to be a great driver, Bulma had offered him a position as a bus driver, and on the condition that he had no more wrecks, he was allowed to occasionally join the class. So when the women needed a man to practice on, that man was Yamcha, and he didn't mind one bit.

Yamcha grinned as he noticed Gohan. "The class is looking great today!" Yamcha chuckled, giving him two eager thumbs up.

Gohan laughed uneasily and went inside. His mother was giving a lecture on how not to be intimidated by men, something he felt she was an expert in. Videl was leaning against a wall nearby, and Gohan waved to her. She smirked, and suddenly Gohan's phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out, checked the screen, and blanched.

A close-up picture of Erasa's green lips filled the screen, accompanied by the text message from Videl: "Heard you missed lunch again."

Deciding that talking to Videl might not be the best idea just then, Gohan spotted 18 sitting in a corner. Marron was next to her, still holding Pan, who had fallen asleep. He went over with the intention of relieving Marron, but when he got close, Marron frowned and turned away from him, as if trying to shield Pan from him.

18 smiled. "Sorry, but Marron's gotten a little attached."

"Can't say I blame her," Gohan replied. "By the way, I've been meaning to ask. What made you decide to join the class? It doesn't seem like the type of thing you'd usually be on board with."

"Normally, I wouldn't be. But in the end, I did it for Marron."

Gohan was surprised by that answer. "Do you mean you wanted her to learn self-defense? Couldn't you teach her?"

18 laughed. "Not what I meant. Did you know we've been home-schooling Marron?"

"No, but I suspected," Gohan said.

"Do you know why?"

"If I had to guess? Because in a crisis, it's safer to have Marron with you, rather than have to pick her up from school."

"That's true," 18 agreed, "but the real reason is my own background. I like to keep her close, in case there is a crisis. Or in case she turns out to be the crisis. As much as I like you guys, I don't trust anyone to make the decisions for her that I would. But I do like you guys, and so does Marron. She doesn't have many friends, and I don't want her to lose the few she has. That's why I joined the class. It means more time she can spend with Trunks, Goten, and Pan."

"I never thought of that," Gohan admitted softly. Marron had always seemed like such a happy girl to him. It never entered his mind that she might not have many friends, or more accurately, didn't have many chances to make new ones. He had never worried about that with Pan, as she had a constant stream of relatives and others wanting to spoil her. But it was true that she didn't really have anyone her age to play with, in part because of the need to conceal her power. That would not be an issue with Marron, who had seen her parents fly plenty of times.

Gohan looked at Marron, who was smiling as she carefully rocked Pan back and forth. "You like Pan, don't you?" Gohan asked.

"My baby!" Marron said proudly with a big grin.

Gohan very nearly laughed, but managed to limit himself to smiling. "You can come over and play with her as much as you want. I'm sure Pan would love that."

Marron's eyes lit up with joy, and 18 gave Gohan a grateful smile.

* * *

Later that evening, Bulma watched from her bedroom window as Krillin and his family met up with Gohan and his family. Apparently they had arranged a sleepover for Marron and Pan, although instead of just Marron, Videl had invited Krillin and 18 to stay over as well. They certainly had plenty of guest rooms, after all.

"Celebrating another scheme well done?" asked a voice behind her.

Bulma frowned. "It's not a scheme, Vegeta. It's careful planning that pays off."

"No need for the attitude. I did say it was well done."

"Hmm. That is true. Sorry."

"So is your goal to have them all working for you?"

"As many as I can. Nobody else can or will pay them what they deserve. And I like having them close. You know how Goku is. We'd never see him unless he wanted something. With his family here every day, at least there's a better chance he'll show up once a week. Someone has to feed him." Bulma smirked. "And this is just the beginning."

* * *

 **The Next Morning**

Gohan, his family, and his guests were in the middle of breakfast when there was a loud thump from one of the upstairs bedrooms.

Krillin instantly jumped to his feet, his police officer training putting him on high alert.

"Relax, it's probably just Goten," Videl said, calmly sipping her orange juice. "He likes to pop in and say hi."

Krillin blushed slightly and sat down as Goten flew into the room a moment later.

"Hi, everyone!" Goten greeted happily. "Nii-chan, guess what!"

Gohan blinked as Goten shoved a stack of papers in his face. "What's all this?"

Goten grinned, reaching over to rub Pan's head as she cooed at him. "Bulma-san is going to make a movie, and she asked me to star in it!"

Videl paused. "Another Saiyaman movie?"

"No, even better!" Goten said.

"This movie is about tou-san," Gohan said slowly as he read what was clearly a script. "I mean, it doesn't use anyone's real name, but it's about his childhood."

Goten nodded. "Bulma-san said it's time that people knew how great he is. Even if they don't actually know it's about him, or that this really happened."

"That's... an odd approach," 18 murmured. "But I guess if it brings in money..."

"And tou-san was okay with this?" Gohan asked.

Goten nodded. "He was kinda iffy about it at first, but once Bulma-san said she wouldn't let anyone but me be him in the movie, he was fine with it."

Gohan could already imagine his father's thought process. He wouldn't have wanted some stunt double using fake explosions. He'd want Goten, actually blowing up stuff. And even though he would probably still fall asleep during the movie, he would trust Goten and Bulma not to give him a bad reputation. Not that most people would know it was about him, anyway. Although, given how much Goten still looked like Goku, someone was sure to make the connection. But even then, they would have to be familiar with Goku to know that such things might have really happened.

"She really is trying to give us all jobs," Gohan murmured, looking at Pan doubtfully. "What's she going to pay you to do, I wonder?"

Pan grabbed a handful of rice and stuffed it into Goten's mouth. She giggled and clapped when he made a big show of chewing.

88888888888888

 **Endnotes:**

I don't think Gohan not working at Capsule Corp is wrong. I just think it's silly, all things considered. Or at least more silly than anyone else not working there, since he alone has a superhero identity to hide and he doesn't need to hide it from Bulma.

I make several references to Capsule Corp being Bulma's company. Technically it belongs to her father, but given how much more often we see Bulma working there and him simply relaxing until she asks for his help, I have to believe by now that she's running most or all of it. And I refuse to believe that the line of inheritance skipped Bulma and went straight to Trunks in GT.

Bulma is crazy rich. By which I mean she can throw millions away on meaningless things. That is now canon, since Super episode 68 was dedicated to showing how Bulma can grant wishes. Once upon a time, Bulma would have beaten Master Roshi silly for wishing for loose women. Now, she's older and has a person on speeddial with instant authorization to spend millions on her command. I don't have a problem with Bulma doing that, it just surprised me, is all. But if Bulma would do that, then surely she would invest in Gohan. And surely it's a better news story, Bulma investing in Mr. Satan's son-in-law. I don't think there's a way to positively spin Bulma buying escorts for Master Roshi. And it's now confirmed that Bulma invests in Goku's farming by providing a truck. So the likelihood she would invest in Gohan goes up.

Gohan working at Capsule Corp has been such an obvious storyline to me for some time, I'm amazed it's never been done. Really, I'm more surprised that Bulma didn't create jobs for all the Z Fighters. The few willing to work could easily have an equivalent job at Capsule Corp, so it's not even a stretch. Yes, that would make them dependent on Bulma. So they would only be like everyone else who ever used a Capsule product, which is pretty much everyone living in a modern area on Earth. And between armor, transports, and someone to calm authorities when the sky goes black, aren't they already depending on Bulma and Capsule Corp plenty?

I have no idea what Gohan is researching. But the odds that Capsule Corp doesn't have a division related to it in some way seems pretty slim. And even if they didn't, Bulma would just make one. But let's be serious: with limited resources, Future Bulma was able to make a working time machine. So there should be no limit to the things Present Bulma can do, since her resources pretty much are unlimited.

 **The Gohan Rant:** I have no problem with Gohan being a nerd. Or with being a dad that stays in fighting shape, just in case. But I've been very annoyed with the flopping back and forth. First Gohan resumes his training under Piccolo. Then Piccolo says Gohan isn't a fighter anymore, and Gohan is not even informed during a crisis when another Saiya-jin fighter could have made a difference. Then Gohan beats one bad guy and can suddenly somehow hang with Goku in a fight again. I want them to pick a direction for Gohan and stick with it. Or I want him to be more like Krillin. Here's what I mean by that: Krillin was retired, but he could be counted on to fight in a crisis. And he would not blow off a major fight for a conference. Simple. More importantly, when Krillin makes a comeback, you see him training.

Two things happened the last time Gohan stopped seriously training and later suddenly jumped back into fighting. 1) Goku was confident he'd be fine and was proven wrong about that. 2) Gohan embarrassed himself by not performing up to his old standards. Notice how Goku is again confident Gohan can make a comeback. I assume a major Gohan-thrashing will follow. And it should, if that means we get Gohan finally applying himself seriously about training and fighting.

If Gohan had retired for good, I would have been fine with it. I assumed that he was done as soon as he put the glasses on. But what really annoys me about Gohan is that they keep trying to drag him back into fighting. Which would be fine, if he were going to devote a considerable amount of time and energy into it. But he hasn't. So the end result is that he looks wishy-washy to me. I want the minds behind Super to actually show Gohan getting serious about training. The execution so far makes it look like Gohan took being in a movie he hated more seriously than fighting. Which is fine if he's not going to be fighting. Not so much if he's fighting in the biggest martial arts tournament ever soon with the universe's survival on the line. And now they're going back and forth AGAIN by showing Gohan training with Piccolo in the new opening. Hopefully this means he actually will train for the tournament, which would be a vast improvement.

I must, however, give Super credit for one thing: wives who like their husbands strong. Videl supporting Gohan's return to fighting isn't that big a surprise. But 18 AND Marron making Krillin feel small for not fighting? 18 has that kid well trained. Marron always supported her parents fighting in DBZ, but she was always positive about it until Super. Which only makes her growing up to be a teenager who doesn't fight even stranger.


	3. The Tale of Son Buu

Notes: A warning: this is, and likely will remain, the only "fix" that is not directly suggested by Bulma. I probably could have spun it so that it was, but I think this was something more in line with Goku's ability to fix a problem, so he gets the credit this time. Although I am sure Bulma would be happy to take credit for being the one that constantly yelled at him to think before acting.

I am enjoying the Universe Survival Arc, but there is a ton of material in it that I would like to examine in this story. So much so that I cannot possibly get to it all in one chapter, or even in one alternate universe, fittingly enough. So the only way I can get to all that I want to, is to spread it across several alternate universes. They will be easy to identify, since I'll be titling each one "USA", followed by a number, until I move on to a different arc. If there is one. So: recent developments with Buu have caused me to think that the biggest flaw in his character, is having the wrong best friend.

Summary: When they clashed in the sky, Goku missed a chance to leave more of a lasting impression on Buu. What if Goku's promise to fight again had not been to Kid Buu, but to Fat Buu? How would Buu change, if he was loyal to Goku before all others?

* * *

 **Goku's Suggestion Box**

 **A Dragon Ball Super Fanfic by**

 **Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

 **Chapter 3, USA1: The Tale of Son Buu**

* * *

"Wow," Goku gasped, wiping his brow and grinning. "You're strong, Buu. The strongest fighter I've ever faced."

The pink, chubby demon grinned, put his hands on his hips, and puffed up his already protruding belly proudly. "Thank you!"

"In fact, you're way too strong to be controlled by someone so weak and evil," Goku continued, his gaze moving to Babidi, who was hovering just above and behind Buu's left shoulder.

The wizard glared at Goku. "Hey, who asked you to talk? Buu, you numbskull! I didn't tell you to stop fighting! Get him right now! We've got places to destroy and people to massacre!"

A truly ugly look passed over Buu's face briefly, but as Babidi was behind him, he missed it. Goku did not.

"You'd make a great Saiya-jin warrior, Buu," Goku went on. "A genius fighter like you, who doesn't get hurt or tired? You'd be perfect. I can't wait for the day that you and I fight again."

Buu grinned eagerly. "We play some more?"

"Sure. I'd never pass up a chance to fight with you, if I could help it. But I'm out of time today. Although, there is one gift I can give you. Normally, I wouldn't do this, but I think today I can make an exception."

Goku suddenly raised his right hand and fired a blast of energy. Buu blinked as the energy sailed harmlessly over his shoulder, and only turned when he heard Babidi's dying shriek.

"Now you're free, Buu," Goku said. "Nobody controls you anymore. Nobody can seal you back into that ball. You decide what you want to do."

As Goku had guessed, Buu didn't look the least bit upset that his master was dead. If anything, he looked confused. He'd clearly never had a choice before.

"Buu decide?" Buu murmured, frowning thoughtfully.

"Buu decides," Goku agreed, just before he vanished from sight.

"Buu decide," Buu muttered, scratching his head. It was an entirely new concept, and he needed to think about it. So for the next five minutes, Buu floated there in the sky, wondering just what it was he would do next.

* * *

Goku's thoughts were swirling rapidly as he appeared back on the Lookout. He had not gone into the fight with Buu planning to kill Babidi. Certainly he hadn't thought he would get such a clear, easy shot to do it. He had always preferred not to kill. Even the worst sort of people deserved a chance to turn their life around. And it was not so much that Babidi was any different from the old Vegeta, or Frieza, or Cell. He was exactly like them, in fact.

But none of them had killed Gohan.

Could that have been why? It made a certain amount of sense. Except that Goku hadn't even been angry when he fired the shot. He had justified it as Babidi being the driving force behind Buu, and without him, perhaps Buu would change immediately. And there had been virtually no chance of that so long as Babidi was alive and in control.

It was entirely possible that Buu would be even worse without someone to hold him in check, but Goku couldn't imagine that anything the childlike Buu came up with could be much worse than the senseless slaughter Babidi had ordered. And if nothing else, neither Goku nor Buu would ever have to hear the wizard's annoying voice again. Surely Buu would appreciate that much. Perhaps it would buy them a few seconds worth of mercy.

Goku looked up as his friends and family surrounded him. Goten reached him first, a huge grin stretched across the boy's face. Without a word, Goku reached down and lifted Goten to sit on his shoulder. It wasn't the same as it had been so many years ago, of course. But until they wished Gohan back, this was perhaps the only thing that would make Goku feel like a father.

"You were amazing, tou-san!" Goten said, hugging Goku's neck.

"I only did what I had to," Goku replied evenly, patting his son's back.

"That form," Piccolo began, then simply shook his head, unable to properly describe it further. "Well done. You bought us precious time with that battle. And you got rid of that cursed wizard."

"I'm still not sure if that was a good idea or not," Goku admitted. "We don't know how Buu will choose to spend his time now."

"It was worth the risk," Piccolo insisted.

"Killing Dr. Gero didn't make much of a difference to the Androids at the time," Goku pointed out. "And Buu seems just as interested in playing games as they were."

"If you're going to use what ultimately happened with the Androids as an example of what might happen with Buu, that's even more reason to have removed Babidi from the picture. This is no time to have regrets over a future that hasn't happened yet. We need to-"

Whatever Piccolo thought they should do next, Goku never found out. He was the first to sense the approaching energy, because he knew what it felt like, when someone else used Instant Transmission. More importantly, he had just been exposed to and battered by that same energy. He wasn't about to forget it this soon.

In a flash, Buu was suddenly standing beside Goku. As a true testament to the pink demon's genius or perhaps magic, he had not even needed to copy Goku's usual pose when using the technique. For that to be possible, he must have been so focused on Goku's energy that nothing else held any importance to him at the time.

That could either be very good, or very bad.

"Buu," Goku said slowly, his eyes wide. He quickly put Goten down and moved the boy behind him. "You learned Instant Transmission just from seeing me use it once?"

"Twice!" Buu corrected with a big grin.

Goku blinked, realizing Buu was right. He had used the technique to confront Buu, and to leave the scene.

"Why you leave?" Buu asked, sounding more curious than anything else. "You no play with Buu no more?"

"Like I told you, I'm pretty much out of time," Goku answered. "I can only stay here for a day, and most of that time is already gone."

Buu simply stared at him, clearly not understanding.

"I'm dead, Buu," Goku finally said, pointing at the halo above his own head.

Buu stared at the halo. Finally, he frowned. "Being dead... mean no fun?"

Thinking of the safety of his family and friends, and just as importantly, Dende, should they need to be wished back, Goku nodded. "Right, Buu. Being dead is really no fun at all."

"Then Buu fix!" Buu decided at once.

"What?" Goku asked, startled. "What are you-?"

"Buu fix!" Without warning, Buu's forelock pointed at Goku and fired a swirling beam of white energy. Goku was too stunned to dodge, and the beam hit him directly in the chest.

"Tou-san, no!" Goten wailed, clinging to his father's leg.

Goku didn't fall. Or vanish. Or burst into flames. Or explode.

He just... stood there, gaping. Absolutely nothing had happened to him. Except for one thing. One very important thing that Goku noticed right away.

His halo, the proof that he was dead... it was gone.

Goku was alive again.

* * *

After the confusion and excitement died down somewhat, the very first thing that Goku wanted to do was keep his promise to fight Buu, and Buu was eager to accept. But then both of their stomachs growled in protest, and instead, Mr. Popo began wheeling out a grand feast. Or it would have been, except Goku and Buu ate everything themselves, so it was more accurately called a grand double face-stuffing.

"Oh, man! That was great!" Goku declared, patting his belly once they were done. "Thanks a bunch, Mr. Popo! You're a lifesaver!"

"Actually, I think that's his role, today," Mr. Popo murmured, nodding at Buu.

"Hey, you're right!" Goku reached over and patted Buu on the shoulder. "Thanks again for bringing me back to life, Buu! I didn't know you had that kind of power!"

Buu shrugged. "Buu not know, either. Buu never bring someone back to life. Only make them dead."

"That makes sense, I guess." It did not seem likely that Babidi ever would have ordered Buu to try and revive someone. Except perhaps his father Bibidi, but clearly that hadn't happened. "Well, thanks, anyway! Now, about that fight I owe-"

"Goku," Piccolo said sternly. "Since Buu can bring people back to life, maybe you wouldn't mind asking him about certain others who died recently? Before you get to your fight?"

"Ah, good point." Goku turned to Buu, who was frowing. "Sorry, Buu. It's just, Babidi really caused us a lot of trouble, and we're still trying to repair it all."

"Buu bring someone back, and then you play with Buu?" Buu asked.

Goku nodded. "Sure! It's a promise!"

Buu sighed. "Who Buu bring back?"

"My son, Gohan. He was the one who-"

"Not dead. Who else?"

Goku blinked. "Wait, what?"

"Not dead. Who else?" Buu demanded.

"H-Hey, you're not making that up just to get to our fight, are you?"

Buu grunted. "Buu make lots of people dead. Buu know when they not dead. Gohan not dead."

Goku glanced at Piccolo, who looked shocked. "Buu, we can't sense Gohan. How do you know he's alive? Where is he?"

Buu started to answer, then stopped. He looked to be struggling with himself. Finally, he grabbed Goku's shoulder, and they both promptly vanished.

* * *

"No! Nooooo! It can't be!"

This was the reaction that greeted Goku and Buu as they appeared in a grassy field. And sure enough, Gohan was there and alive, just as Buu had said. And with him were the Kaioshin and Kibito, who looked to be having simultaneous heart attacks and very near collapsing flat on their faces.

"Gohan, there you are!" Goku said in relief. "Why have you been hiding here? We all thought you were dead!"

"Tou-san, don't we have bigger issues?!" Gohan demanded angrily. "Why did you bring Buu here?!"

"I didn't. He brought me. You missed a lot while you were gone." Goku paused. "Hey, maybe we should do something about them first."

The Kaioshin had fainted, and Kibito was trying to bring him around while keeping one hand twisted on his own wildly beating heart. Buu quickly lost interest, and seeing how Goku wasn't ready to fight, wandered off to explore the planet.

After convincing the trio that Buu wasn't out for blood at the moment, Goku gave them a quick summary of what had happened between he and Buu. They were, of course, stunned.

"This makes no sense!" Kibito finally snapped. "Everything we know about Majin Buu says that this outcome is impossible! Are you really saying that he simply chose not to kill?!"

"No, I never said that," Goku corrected. "What I said was he wants to fight me more than anything else. But he hasn't mentioned wanting to kill anyone this whole time."

"I suppose it isn't impossible," the Kaioshin murmured. "Bibidi and Babidi were controlling Buu with threats of being re-sealed and promises of sweets. Goku has done the same with the promise of fighting Buu again. So long as you can deliver something that Buu wants, in theory, he has no reason to seek your life."

"But what happens after Buu gets what he wants?" Kibito asked nervously. "Once he gets this one fight from Goku, we-"

"Who said it was one?" Goku asked at once.

"You did," Kibito said slowly. "You promised him a fight."

Goku frowned at him. "I promised I'd fight him again. I never said it would only be once. That's not much of a deal."

"Goku," the Kaioshin said nervously, "one does not simply fight Majin Buu more than once if they have any say in the matter. And they usually don't have any say, if it wasn't clear."

"Buu gave me my life back, and he didn't have to. That's worth more than one fight in my book. And if I'm going to have any chance at changing him for the better, I need to be in this for the long haul. Because if I fail or give up, he doesn't just become one other person's problem. He becomes the whole planet's. Maybe the whole universe's. So I don't think this is something I should be trying to run away from. Who else could do this? You brought Gohan here to train because he couldn't even last as long as I did against Buu. And Vegeta threw everything he had at Buu. There's nobody else who can even hope to fight Buu right now."

"But are you even hearing yourself, Goku?" the Kaioshin asked. "You were desperately fighting to buy time, and if you had kept it up, you would have burned through all of what remained of your day on Earth. Even alive, you should not be able to maintain that level of power for very long."

"That's true," Goku admitted. "But the only way I will is to keep working at it. So if Buu is interested in more fights with me, then he'll just have to keep me alive, won't he? Or keep bringing me back to life, anyway."

The Kaioshin sighed. "Very well. Perhaps you should fight here, so as to spare Earth from further damage." Kibito looked as if he wanted to protest, but the Kaioshin shook his head. "If Goku fails, and it falls to us to deal with Buu, I would prefer that Gohan had seen as much of his fighting technique as possible. As for me, there is something I must investigate. I will entrust things here to you for now, Kibito."

"Kaioshin-sama, are you certain?" Kibito asked as Goku walked away to find Buu.

"Yes. This is very important. Based on what I have heard and seen today, I was wrong. About many things, but specifically about Buu's power. I must confirm a new theory I now have."

"What is it you're thinking, if it's okay to ask?" Gohan added.

The Kaioshin nodded. "I am certain that Buu was created with neither the ability, nor any intent to bring a person back to life. I can think of only two reasons why that may have changed, and each is equally disturbing. The first possibility is that when he kills, Buu stockpiles the souls of his victims. I suspect he would use them as fuel to refill his power reserves, but in Goku's case, decided to spare one in order to revive Goku."

"That sounds awful," Gohan murmured.

"Simply ghastly!" Kibito agreed.

"The next possibility is worse," the Kaioshin assured him. "Long ago, I shared responsibility for watching over this universe with three other Kaioshin, and we were governed by the Dai Kaioshin, our leader. Buu destroyed two of them outright, erasing them from existence. But as for South Kaioshin and Dai Kaioshin... Buu absorbed them, in order to add their power to his own. You would naturally assume that this would increase his power, but because they were gods and Buu a demon, it actually weakened him. Not that the difference in power in any way halted his rampage, as he was still far stronger than anyone who might have opposed him. But now, it appears that Buu has fully absorbed South Kaioshin and Dai Kaioshin, and can grant life to the dead as a result."

"Well, no disrespect to the fallen Kaioshin, but it sounds as if them laying down their lives was a worthwhile cost," Gohan pointed out. "They not only weakened Buu, they made it possible for Buu to do something good. So how is that worse?"

"It is worse because Buu could revive Bibidi," Kibito realized. "Unlikely as it is that he would also revive Babidi, there is that. And with only Kaioshin-sama remaining, there is another danger that-"

"We can discuss that if the need ever comes," the Kaioshin interrupted. "For now, we should each tend to the most pressing business at hand. I will seek the answers we need. Gohan, please observe your father's fight with Buu closely. Kibito, do everything in your power to keep them alive, in case Buu does not extend such a kindness a second time."

Without waiting for agreement, the Kaioshin murmured "Kai kai" and vanished from sight.

Gohan frowned as he immediately sensed a skyrocketing power level nearby. "Feels like the fight's starting! Let's go, Kibito!"

Frowning more than usual, Kibito followed Gohan as they rushed to witness the fight between Goku and Buu.

* * *

Goku's friends and family left behind at the Lookout were understandably very worried. They had come there mainly to hide from Buu. But he had followed Goku there, then brought him back to life, and then abruptly vanished with him. For nearly an hour, they were in panic mode.

And then, with no warning, Goku and Buu returned, but this time with Gohan and Kibito. Goku's clothes showed clear indications of a brutal fight, but he himself appeared totally unharmed and refreshed.

"GOHAN!" came the heart-rending cry, and then Videl was shoving even Chi-Chi aside as she charged from the group, threw herself at Gohan, locked her arms around his neck, and kissed him fiercely. Gohan was shocked, and could do little more than stand there limply as her mouth repeatedly assaulted his.

Chi-Chi cleared her throat several times at increasingly loud volumes, but finally gave up and settled for hugging Gohan's back, while Goten latched onto his brother's leg, not that Gohan was even aware of either of them.

Bulma shook her head. "Care to fill the rest of us in on where you've been and why you couldn't send word that you weren't dead or dying?" she demanded of Goku.

"Take it easy, Bulma! We went to the Kaioshin's planet. It turns out they took Gohan there so he could train to beat Buu. Only, it was an emergency, and they assumed anyone they should have told was likely dead, so they didn't tell us. That's why we couldn't sense Gohan. He wasn't on Earth anymore, and we didn't think to look anywhere else. As for why we didn't send word back, I was fighting Buu-"

"Buu win!" Buu added proudly, much to everyone else's horror.

"-and Gohan and Kibito were watching, so we were a little busy. But hey, we're here now!"

"So you fought Buu... lost... and survived?" Piccolo said slowly, wanting confirmation.

Goku nodded. "Sure. Why is that so hard to believe? Turns out he didn't kill Gohan, either!"

Piccolo frowned. "I meant, Buu defeated you, and decided on his own not to kill you?"

"Pretty much. I promised him the next fight would be even better. I just need to focus on training-"

"The next fight?!" Chi-Chi shrieked. "Goku, what are you saying?! You're planning to fight that monster again?! WHY?!"

Goku sighed. "Look, I know it seems impossible to all of you, but Buu isn't all bad. He's had bad people guiding him all of his life, but there is good in him. It's hard to see right now, but it is there. Buu brought me back to life. He helped me find Gohan. And he hasn't killed anyone since we first fought. I'm choosing to believe in him. I'm choosing to call him my friend. I know he's done bad things, but he isn't doing them now. And since we have the dragon balls, both here and on New Namek, we can start undoing that damage. I'll understand if you can't accept this. So Buu is my responsibility, and mine alone. I won't ask any of you to help me with him."

Everyone stared at Goku in varying stages of shock and disbelief. Everyone except Videl, who was still kissing Gohan, and Gohan, who was still being kissed by Videl.

* * *

"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, Daishinkan-sama," the Kaioshin said.

"It is not a problem. I sense this is a matter of some urgency. Please, tell me what troubles you so."

"I trust you are aware of the difficulty we have had in containing the threat of Majin Buu."

"I am indeed. Are you officially requesting help with this issue?"

"N-No, I would never presume to trouble you with this, Daishinkan-sama!" the Kaioshin stammered. "However, I must admit that the problem appears to have grown beyond my capacity to fathom. If you would consent to share a portion of your wisdom with me, I would be most honored."

"I do consent. And I do hope you ask the right question. What is it that you wish to know?"

"As of this moment, in your opinion, how many active Kaioshin are there in Universe 7?"

The Daishinkan smiled. "That is the right question."

* * *

 **Some Time Later**

"Why is your planet still in one piece?" Beerus demanded as he marched into Bulma's lab, followed at a more leisurely pace by his attendant Whis.

Bulma stared at the Hakaishin, doing her best to control her tongue. They had met several times now, and while she was accustomed to his rudeness, she had thought that he was starting to move past threatening to blow up Earth every time he didn't get his way. Previously, he had at least bothered to offer a greeting first, before moving onto threats.

"What I think Beerus-sama meant to say, is how is your planet still in one piece, with Majin Buu being counted among its residents?" Whis translated.

Bulma frowned. "I thought for sure the Kaioshin would have explained this to you."

"We didn't consult him," Whis revealed. "He hasn't had much success dealing with Buu in the past."

"Wait. How did you even find out Buu was here? And why didn't you bring it up earlier?"

Beerus shrugged. "It didn't come up. He wasn't at your birthday party, and then that oaf Yamcha actually touched me without permission, and after that I was too blinded by rage to ask much of anything. Then I was too busy fighting with Goku. And the visit after that, Frieza commanded much of the attention. And Buu didn't show up then, either."

Bulma nodded. "I think I know where he was both times, but go on."

"And the only reason we found out at all is because the Oracle just predicted that Buu would play an important role in Universe 7's survival or destruction in the near future," Whis added. "It was only then, when we researched the matter, that we found Buu had been unsealed and living on Earth for years."

"Which is why we want to know how Earth is still in one piece," Beerus concluded.

"Okay, now that question makes more sense," Bulma sighed in relief. "I don't think you're going to believe me, so maybe I'd better show you."

* * *

"SPECIAL PAN CANNON!"

The little girl laid one wrist over the other and shouted, firing an energy beam from each hand. But while the right, larger beam shot forward in a straight line, the left, smaller beam curled around it in a repeating screw pattern, creating a twofold attack that, even when blocked, still caused considerable damage due to the second beam acting like a drill, something that many fighters on Earth simply would not expect.

Not that the boulder that the beam slammed into had any hope of blocking it. The resulting explosion and shower of pebbles proved that much.

"Not bad," Piccolo murmured as the girl turned to him for evaluation. "A little much, but not bad at all, Pan."

Pan beamed up at him.

"Helloooooooo!" called a voice high above them.

Piccolo frowned as the latest model Capsule Corp flying transport touched down in front of them. He was expecting Bulma to climb out, but got a very bad shock when Beerus and Whis followed.

"Hi, Bulma-san!" Pan cried, rushing over to give her a hug. "Did you come to see me train? Or did Trunks get lonely without me?"

Bulma laughed and ruffled Pan's hair fondly. "I'm here on business, Pan-chan. Do you happen to know where Buu is today? It's really important that I find him."

"Oh, you want Buu? It's Monday, so that means shopping with baa-chan."

Beerus nearly gagged on the straw of the milkshake he was sipping. "Majin Buu... shops?" he asked through coughs, as Whis hit him on the back a few times.

Pan blinked and tugged on Bulma's sleeve, getting her to lean closer. "Your kitty talks," the girl whispered in Bulma's ear.

Bulma grinned. "No, Pan-chan, that's my guest, Beerus-sama. He's the Hakaishin of our whole universe, so be extra polite to him."

"Oooh. So that's why he wants Buu?"

"Sort of, but not really."

"Well, like I said, Buu's shopping, so it might be a while before he gets home. But if you really need to find him right away, jii-chan can take you. But if you're not in a hurry, I can take you. I know where they like to shop."

Bulma glanced back at Beerus, silently considering her options. Normally, Beerus did not like to be kept waiting. Of course, so long as there was plenty of food, he would generally wait for hours. But there really wasn't enough food on the transport to feed him and Whis all day.

Beerus surprised Bulma by taking the choice out of her hands. "Child," he said to Pan. "How well do you know Majin Buu?"

"Pretty well," Pan replied. "He's my uncle!"

Beerus and Whis both gaped at her.

Bulma laughed nervously. "Now, Pan-chan, that's not really true."

"Uh huh!" Pan insisted. "Buu calls baa-chan 'Mama', which means he's her son, which makes him my uncle, just like Goten! Buu's adopted, but he's still family!"

"This is a most disturbing turn of events," Whis murmured.

"It really isn't," Bulma assured him. "I can explain everything. Well, I guess Pan's input couldn't hurt, Buu technically is part of her family."

"He just lives with a random family?!" Beerus demanded.

Bulma frowned. "They're not random! Wasn't it obvious? Pan is Goku's granddaughter!"

Beerus blinked a few times. "That sounds completely illogical, and exactly like something Goku would do. But it is something you should have told us from the start!"

"Again, I thought it was obvious. Who else would you trust to keep an eye on Buu?"

"I feel there is a large, long story here that we are missing," Whis said.

Bulma sighed and turned to Piccolo. "Do you mind if Pan quits a little early today? Only I think this could take a while, and-"

"She's all yours," Piccolo interrupted.

"Huh. That was easy." Bulma shook her head. "I don't suppose you want to come with us?"

Piccolo looked as if he would refuse, then decided against it. "Perhaps I should. There may be things that neither you nor Pan can explain about Buu. And I am responsible for her, for the moment."

* * *

Piccolo had not known what to think when Videl announced her pregnancy only a month after the mess with Buu had been resolved. Certainly he had seen that Videl was determined that Gohan would not get another chance to die on her, not that he had died at all the first time. Piccolo had also seen that Gohan was decidedly not the aggressive one in the relationship. Still, the confirmation of it had mortified everyone, himself included. Chi-Chi had been very upset that Gohan had a pregnant girlfriend, until Videl assured her that there was no escape for Gohan.

Gohan and Videl were married in a small, private ceremony two weeks later. Videl had no interest in letting her father turn the wedding into a media circus, and Gohan was just glad more attention wasn't drawn to it.

In a very surprising move, for the first year of their marriage, Videl had insisted on living near Gohan's parents. She wanted Chi-Chi to train her on how to be a proper wife, since there wasn't much her own father could teach her about being married. Gohan was not sure how he felt about it, but apparently Videl wasn't too confident in her own cooking, and it made Chi-Chi happy to have them (particularly her soon-to-be grandchild) so close by for a while.

As it turned out, living in the country had been good for Pan. Goku taught her how to live off the land. Chi-Chi taught her how to behave once she was inside. Gohan oversaw all of Pan's schoolwork. Goten was less a teacher and more a big brother figure. And Videl taught Pan how to fight... at first. But true to her Saiya-jin blood, Pan excelled quickly, and the first time that she managed to knock her mother out cold, Videl handed over her training to Goku. But once Goku was sure that Pan had the basics down, he asked Piccolo to take over. Goku felt the best teachers for anyone would always be a non-relative. It had been true for Goku and Gohan, and Piccolo felt it was true for Pan. He did not coddle her, and Goku and Gohan would not have trusted him to train Pan if she were too soft or unprepared.

And really, Piccolo was probably not the teacher of Pan that they had to worry about.

* * *

"Alright, lady!" the masked man barked, poking the gun into her back. "Give up the valuables and back away from the truck!"

The older woman standing beside her truck turned her head slightly to gaze at the man behind her. "I don't think you want to do that."

"You heard me! Do it!" he demanded, poking her harder.

She sighed.

Without warning, she vanished, and suddenly the man felt a hard impact on the side of his head that nearly knocked him out. As it was, he hit the ground hard, and lost the grip on his gun. Though his vision was hazy, he could still see the woman standing over him. He hadn't even seen her move.

"Let that be a lesson to you, young man. There are some women that you shouldn't try to rob. And since you can't tell the difference, you're better off not robbing anyone. The only reason I didn't break something is because I'm in a hurry."

The man glared as best he could, slowly reaching for the handgun still concealed in his back pocket. It wasn't loaded, and neither was the gun he'd lost, but she wouldn't know that.

Again, without warning, something huge and pink blocked the man's view.

"Mama! This man playing with you?" asked a strange voice.

"No, Buu," the woman said. "He was trying to take our groceries."

There was a shocked gasp. "But groceries are food! Buu's food!"

The man yelped as something grabbed his collar and hauled him up, slamming him against the side of the truck. He went pale as he noticed the woman had been joined by a large, pink... well, he wasn't sure what it was, but it was holding him, and it looked plenty mad.

"You bad man! You no take Buu's food!" the pink thing said.

"He was at least thinking about shooting me, too," the woman added calmly.

There was a long pause, in which the pink thing's face slowly but notably began to turn red.

"You... hurt... Buu's... Mama?!" the pink thing growled.

The man shook his head wildly. If anything, the woman had hurt him more than he'd hurt her.

"BUU MAKE YOU PAY!" the pink thing shrieked, and then there was blinding flash of light as the man screamed in fear.

* * *

"And Majin Buu just... lives with your family?" Beerus asked for the third time.

Pan frowned. "Why are you so surprised, Beerus-sama? He's got to live somewhere."

"So do I, but you'd never find me living with my brother by choice," Beerus snorted.

"Maybe your brother isn't as much fun as Buu is."

Beerus opened his mouth, paused, and closed it. "You may be right, child."

Whis chuckled softly as he turned back to the front of the transport. "It seems they have become fast friends."

"Well, good," Bulma sighed. "Last thing I need is him having any reason to blow up the planet."

"And you are confident that the child can sense Buu's location?" Whis asked.

"Pan and Buu have always had a special bond. He may have given her some way of tracking him that no one else has, but she can always find him. I suppose it helps that he's really only ever in three places: in the city with Chi-Chi, at home, or at Capsule Corp."

"You do not fear that he will revert to his former ways?"

Bulma shook her head. "Goku always says that Bibidi and Babidi only treated Buu like a tool, never like a person. Goku was the first one to give him a choice, and Buu chose to stay with him, so Goku welcomed Buu into his family. Now Buu considers himself one of them. And what they never do is go around terrorizing or killing people for no reason. So Buu doesn't anymore, either. Goku promised he would teach Buu how to live here, and he has."

Whis frowned. "While I can appreciate that Goku is essentially a good person, you can imagine our concerns that any Saiya-jin would be teaching Majin Buu how to live?"

Bulma laughed softly. "Because you're thinking that Goku taught Buu how to live like a Saiya-jin. But remember, Goku was raised here on Earth. So he's the perfect one to show Buu how to live here without blowing the planet to bits. And obviously, it worked. But I admit it is pretty hard to believe until you see it for yourself."

* * *

Buu was alone with the truck, happily licking a huge lollipop when the Capsule Corp transport landed close by. This did not immediately draw his attention, even when he sensed extremely powerful ki aboard. It was only when Pan came flying out that he swallowed the lollipop whole, stick and all, and turned to give her his full attention.

"Buu!" Pan said happily as she flew at him, arms outstretched.

"Pan!" he shouted, giggling as he hoped out of the truck and ran to her.

Anyone who thought they were going to hug would have been enormously wrong: they instead met with giant grins and a flurry of punches, the ground beneath them cracking from the force of their blows. After a few seconds of this, they leaped apart, and cupped their hands to begin charging beam attacks.

"STOP IT, YOU IDIOTS!"

Buu and Pan both looked up, their energy attacks winking out, and matching guilty expressions on their faces, as Chi-Chi stomped towards them.

"I leave you alone for five minutes, and you're going at it full strength?!"

Pan pouted. "Baa-chan, that was nowhere even close to full-"

Chi-Chi's hand snapped out, seizing Pan's nose firmly between two fingers. "Not my point!"

"Buu play with Pan!" Buu added, as if this would help.

Pan opened her mouth to agree, but stopped when Chi-Chi squeezed her nose a bit.

"Do either of you see what is behind me?" Chi-Chi demanded.

Buu and Pan both looked. It was an orphanage. They both knew that, having been there several times. What Chi-Chi did not see, however, were the multitude of small, eager faces pressed against the windows. What they had just seen was surely better than any video game they'd ever played.

Pan sighed. "Sorry, baa-chan." This earned her a stern look, but it did get her nose released.

"Sorry, Mama," Buu murmured.

Chi-Chi sighed and shook her head. "Honestly! We're not even that far from home. Surely you could have waited a few minutes to start attacking each other. Pan-chan, why aren't you training with Piccolo?"

"Beerus-sama asked me to find Buu," Pan explained, pointing to where Beerus stood by with Whis, Bulma, and Piccolo.

"So he asked you to find Buu. Not attack him, correct?"

Pan pouted again. "Yeah, but Buu's so much fun to fight with!"

"If the Hakaishin has business with Buu, having fun should be the least of your concerns," Chi-Chi said.

Beerus walked up to Buu, a thoughtful frown on his face. "I hear you don't kill anymore."

"Nope!" Buu replied brightly.

Beerus blinked. "Why not?"

"Buu a Saiya-jin god now! Saiya-jin god no kill!"

Beerus gaped at him. "You... who told you that?"

"Goku."

Beerus scowled. "It appears I need to have a talk with Goku."

"Why?" Chi-Chi asked. "It's not like it's a lie."

Beerus turned to her slowly. "Excuse me?" he asked in a threatening tone.

"Well, it isn't. Buu has the power of two gods inside him, and he was adopted by a largely Saiya-jin family. And I'd say most of the gods I've met were every bit as afraid of him as they were of you. Maybe he's not officially a god, but that's just an oversight from where I'm standing. He's done a lot of things to help out around here. He even built this orphanage."

Beerus gaped at her. "Why would he ever do that?"

"Because now when someone does something that Buu considers evil, he doesn't kill them. Instead, he turns them into a baby with no memory of their previous life, so they can grow up all over again. It's a chance to start over and live their life the right way."

"So then, all of those children..."

"Oh, not all of them. The orphanage takes in any children who need a home."

Beerus frowned. "You have given me much to consider. But I would still like to speak to Goku about this."

"Well, I'm sure he's training somewhere in the mountains. You could ask Buu to use Instant Transmission to find him."

"How does he know a technique of the Yardrat-jin?"

"They taught it to Goku, Goku used it in front of Buu, and Buu just picked it up."

Beerus shook his head. "Now I really need to talk to Goku..."

* * *

One of the tricky things about Instant Transmission is that it didn't warn if the target was doing something that the user would rather not see. So Buu and the rest of the group appeared a few feet away from a lake, which Goku was just emerging from, completely naked.

"Uh... hi, everyone?" Goku murmured.

Buu merely pointed his forelock at Goku and zapped him into a new copy of his usual training gi.

Goku blinked. "Thanks, Buu, but it wouldn't have taken me too long to get dressed."

"It would have been too long for my tastes," Beerus said firmly.

"Oh, Beerus-sama! What brings you here?" Goku asked.

"The fact that you've apparently been telling Buu that he's a Saiya-jin god?"

"Was that wrong?"

"Was it...?! Do you even have to ask?!"

"Kinda. Even Dende agrees that Buu is the best thing that's happened to Earth in a while."

Buu put his hands on his hips and puffed out his belly proudly. "Buu best thing!"

Beerus ignored him. "Why did you tell him that he was a god?"

Goku moved closer to Beerus and lowered his voice. "Well, I was trying to get Buu to live a good life. So telling him that he was a magic gum demon wouldn't have worked as well. But telling him that he was a god made him feel responsible for improving this planet. And he's done that. Which was the point. It's not like I told him he was a Hakaishin. That would have been too much like the old Buu."

Beerus glared at him. "All fair points, but I'm still not happy. You defeated the threat of Majin Buu by not defeating him at all."

Goku blinked. "Uh, maybe that was the problem: all he ever needed was someone to give him a choice, and no one did."

"That is not the answer I would expect to hear from a Saiya-jin."

"I was raised on Earth, so I think differently. I taught Buu how to live like me, not a Saiya-jin. So he doesn't go around conquering planets. He eats and sleeps and trains, just like I do, and just as much as I do. And let me tell you, it took a while for him to get the hang of sleeping."

"He didn't know how to sleep?"

"Oh, he did, but only sleeping for a couple of hours each night was new to him. He used to sleep for as long as he wanted, and could go weeks without waking up. Once I pointed out that no Saiya-jin would miss out on that much eating and fighting, he learned pretty fast how to do it the right way."

Beerus looked as if he wanted to argue, but finally shook his head. "You trust Buu around your family, then?"

"Sure! He's Pan's favorite sparring partner."

Beerus glanced over at Pan, who had found some wild berries and was sharing them with Buu. She was, of course, far stronger than any normal human, and yet, much weaker than Buu. If she regularly sparred against Buu, and she was still alive, that was proof enough that he had changed. As was, admittedly, Earth still being in one piece.

"One last question, then," Beerus said. "Why is this the first time I've seen Buu lately? Bulma mentioned she knew where he'd been hiding, but never said where."

Goku thought for a moment. "Let's see. If he wasn't with one of us-"

"He wasn't. You were all at Bulma's birthday party."

"-then he had to be at the orphanage."

There was a long pause.

"You're serious?" Beerus asked.

"I told you, he takes being a god seriously. He likes to make sure all the people he turned into kids are doing well. In a funny way, you could say he's more responsible than you guys are!"

Beerus glared at Goku. "I am not laughing, Goku."

Goku laughed weakly. "Yeah, I guess you aren't. Why all this interest in Buu, though? He's strong, but I don't think you have anything to worry about."

Beerus snorted impatiently. "I am not interested because he may be a threat to me. I want to make sure he is still a threat in general. Apparently, his strength will be needed in the near future, and I want to be certain he can hold his own."

"Well, he can. I don't know anyone who can put Buu on the ropes without at least going Super Saiya-jin first."

* * *

 **Some Time Later (Again)**

The Elder Kaioshin cleared his throat and checked the clipboard in his hand. "So, to review, the Universe 7 team will consist of Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, Buu, Piccolo, Android 18, Android 17, Krillin, Tien, and this Roshi fellow?"

"That is the final list that Gohan provided us with," the younger Kaioshin said. "Let us hope it will be enough to ensure our universe's survival."

"I am so glad Buu's on our side now! And that he only sleeps as much as a normal person would!"

"Yes, that is fortunate. But I still have some concerns about this roster..."

"Well, I wouldn't worry too much. I can't say I know what all these youngsters are capable of, but we know at least half of them are pretty scrappy. And we don't have to worry about any of them stabbing us in the back. Why, inviting someone who would do that to participate would be pure insanity!" He laughed loudly, slapping his knee a few times.

The younger Kaioshin stared at his elder blankly. "Yes. Pure madness, sir."

 **The End?**

* * *

 **Endnotes:**

For those really paying attention, I moved Pan's birth up by four years. On purpose!

Recently in the Dragon Ball Super anime, Goku was apparently able to use god ki to revive Master Roshi. In which case, I call shenanigans on Buu not being able to revive anyone with the power of two Kaioshin in him. There has been ample time and plenty of opportunities for this idea to be applied, and it hasn't, so I doubt it will be. I still think it would be a neat save, and would restore some of the importance that Buu has lost. As inactive as I consider most of the gods to be, Buu would fit right in.

I can accept that the reason Buu is kept out of certain events is that he's too powerful. I would just prefer that oversleeping was not the chosen method. Although I admit being at an orphanage is not much better, but I just hate the method by which Buu isn't more useful is that he's a couch potato. Especially considering being lazy rarely seemed to slow him down when he was evil.

Anyway, if things turn out like I plan, the next chapter will explore the idea of Cell filling the Former Bad Guy spot on the team, rather than Frieza. Not that I consider him any more trustworthy than Frieza, I just think his genetics make him a better choice, provided he got an instant power boost the way Frieza did. Also, there does not appear to be another Cell in Universe 6 (though there is a doctor...) for him to conspire with, so there's that, too.


	4. Eschalot's Dragon, Part 1

Notes: Please note that I began working on this chapter back when I thought the biggest issue I would have with the Universe Survival arc would be the team including humans. It doesn't make a huge difference, really, but I felt I should mention it.

Chapter Summary: Concerned about Goku's team picks for the Tournament of Power, Bulma does some recruiting of her own. And she made the right call, according to Eschalot, her warrior daughter from the future.

* * *

 **Bulma's Suggestion Box**

 **A Dragon Ball Super Fanfic by**

 **Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**

 **Chapter 4: USA2-1: Eschalot's Dragon, Part 1**

* * *

For the sworn enemies of Goku, life (or rather, the afterlife) in Hell was an endless pattern. They would band together and rise up against the lawkeeping ogres, defeat them, and then be defeated themselves before they could really start to enjoy their success, leading to a prolonged prison sentence until they eventually broke out and started the process again.

No one tired of the process because they had nothing better to do, and the hope of one day escaping Hell and getting revenge on Goku was all the motivation they needed. And after a few attempts, it was ridiculously clear that the majority of them were far stronger than the ogres meant to keep them in line were. Even the giant ogre who had sent them to Hell had only been able to do so because his specific authority provided him with a power that worked instantly. If they actually had the chance to fight him, it would have been a very different story.

But they never got that chance. For as easy as it was for them to take over Hell for a time, the exits were cleverly hidden. But there surely had to be at least one, because the fighter that was sent to restore order to Hell never stayed long once the job was done.

More often than not, that fighter was Pikkon.

And always, he ended up fighting against the leader of the revolts, which was Cell.

Although "fighting" was a generous term, in that it never took more than a few blows for Pikkon to put Cell down. Which was a compliment to Cell's power, since it only took a single blow, or even less than that, to stop everyone else.

And therein was the conundrum. Cell had a perfect body for battle, designed not only to start off at an enormously high level of power, but to grow stronger, not necessarily through defeat or near-mortal wounds as with Saiya-jin, but through observation and experimentation. If Cell could witness a fighting technique, and it was possible for any of the donors who had contributed to his genetic structure to perform, then Cell could either duplicate the feat precisely, or create one of matching power and purpose.

But for so long, there had been little worth learning. Certainly there were techniques that were unique to the residents of Hell, but as a result, most of those were actually only useful in Hell itself. So Cell would not bother to learn those unless he reached a point where he had given up on escaping.

And then Frieza was wished back to life, gained a golden form, and quickly got killed again. And in true Frieza fashion, he refused to show it to anyone, and insisted on training in secret.

And in true Cell fashion, Cell spied on Frieza and learned the form's flaws within a day. For an entire week, Frieza was considered the strongest in Hell, and Cell had not challenged his right to rule... yet. Instead, he increased his own training, not to match Frieza's power, but to exploit the flaws in it. And he had, in brutal fashion, despite being "weaker" than the golden form. Frieza had not been able to overcome the form's massive stamina drain quickly enough, and since Cell had no such problems, combined with training that focused on speed, doing maximum damage to weak points, and raising endurance, Cell only had to outlast Frieza. It was just like the fight with Future Trunks all over again, except that Trunks had learned faster and wisely given up, while Frieza's wounded pride prevented him from seeing the obvious: being stronger didn't always mean an automatic victory.

But it was a hollow victory for Cell. There was, in his mind, no reason for him to match the golden form at the moment. While he could easily obtain the equivalent on his own, minimize the stamina drain, and even improve upon the form, the effort would be pointless. He could already take apart every fighter in Hell as he was. And perhaps the biggest drawback was that, for Cell, the golden form would be no different from skipping several steps in an evolution to reach the end. The problem was that something valuable was learned at every step, so to bypass them only resulted in a ultimately weaker and inexperienced form. Cell's patience had paid off before, in him reaching his perfected form, so he was more than willing to do it again, if the result was something far greater than the golden form. And it would be, he could already see that. But it would be nearly impossible to reach those steps in Hell, without someone to show Cell the different steps.

And so he waited.

It would not be a very long wait.

* * *

Discrimination was not a new concept to the West Kaioshin. Yet she could not quite recall it being this annoying before.

She had not been invited to the Zen Exhibition Match. Actually, the other Universe 7 gods had asked her not to attend.

Too may Kaioshin from one universe, they had said. The other universes won't bring two Kaioshin, they said. Which, while true, still did not explain why the retired elder Kaioshin had been invited. True, he was not an active Kaioshin anymore, but all the more reason to show strength by not bringing a retiree. His advice was valuable, but there was certainly no reason both he and Kibito had to go. If anything, Beerus attending negated every possible reason for Kibito's presence. And bringing an attendant to such an event implied weakness on the Kaioshin's part.

In the end, she had not argued with them for only one reason: the tiny transmitter she had placed in the East Kaioshin's vest. She felt no guilt in tricking him with a hug, only righteous fury at being excluded and having to resort to such measures. Thank goodness for Bulma, who had both made the transmitter and given it to her, along with a wink, months ago. Clearly, as a fellow female, Bulma had experienced similar bias from males, to have expected such a situation to arise. And while the sharpness of Bulma's mind was a comfort, the predictability of the male gods, to be so easily figured out by that same mind, was not.

Currently, West Kaioshin was having tea with North Kaio on his planet. He, to no great surprise, had also been left out of the loop. He was far less annoyed about it, but only because he was used to such treatment. Which bothered her. She did not believe that their universe's greatest fighters mostly residing in North Kaio's quadrant was a coincidence. Nor did she believe that East Kaioshin had much to do with it, well-meaning though he was. His contact with Earth in particular had been nearly nonexistent until he turned his attention to Majin Buu. And Beerus had been asleep for so long that any recent positive developments on the planet had to be attributed to North Kaio alone.

But they were not attributed to North Kaio. At least, not in the eyes of those who outranked him. It was always assumed that the Kaioshin, rather than the Kaio, were ultimately responsible for successes or failures within a universe. It was not a flawed theory in general, simply a grossly inaccurate one in this case.

Oddly, North Kaio did not desire that the oversight be corrected. He did not seem to care that he was barely an afterthought to the Kaioshin on most matters. Odd, considering how overly sensitive he was to what the other Kaio thought of him. But then, they were his equals. Perhaps it was not so strange.

It would have been a stretch to call East and West Kaioshin equals. East Kaioshin had been acting alone for a great deal of time, and though he was glad she had returned, that extended period of taking over the Dai Kaioshin's duties had left their mark on him. Upon taking up her old post, she had realized that still left him with the workload of three additional Kaioshin, and offered to help out. Though moved by her kindness and concern, he had politely refused. He claimed she needed time to readjust to her old workload and see how things had changed in her time away.

They were equals no longer, and never would be again. She could accept that, however reluctantly. But even if he essentially was Dai Kaioshin now, it did not mean that her input was unnecessary or meaningless. For him to treat her that way, after everything they had experienced, was completely unacceptable. She knew that she would have to confront him, most likely in front of the elder and Kibito. And if they had a problem with it, they could taste her wrath as well. She was not going to be ignored anymore. Especially when her input might save their entire universe.

* * *

The moment that Goku left Capsule Corporation, Bulma was on the phone. Five minutes later, she and West Kaioshin were talking in hushed but angry tones in one of the lesser used labs.

"It's bad enough that they told you to stay out of it," Bulma hissed. "But I can't believe they weren't even going to tell you about the Tournament of Power! Or that you could be erased! All the Kaioshin were supposed to be informed!"

West Kaioshin shook her head. "We don't have time to be angry about that right now. You know Goku best. Tell me about this team he's assembling. Will it truly be the best fighters our universe has to offer?"

Bulma frowned. "I have security cameras covering every inch of this place, and I've already reviewed the necessary footage. It'll either be the best fighters that Kaio-sama's quadrant, or this planet, has to offer. They're not even going to bother searching other planets."

"You're saying there are more powerful fighters that are being overlooked?"

"Well, sure. There's Pikkon, for one. In fact, I would ask you to scan the other quadrants, just to be safe. But at this point, the best fighters boil down to two categories: those who have been trained by Whis, and then everyone else."

West Kaioshin nodded. "True. But I sense there is something you are not saying, Bulma-sama. Is there a specific fighter you have in mind?"

"Yes," Bulma said hesitantly. "There are several problems, though. He's dead, he's extremely dangerous, and as he is, we can't trust him at all. But he may still be our best chance to save the universe."

"Has he been trained by Whis?"

"No."

"Then Pikkon can handle him. As for being dead, that's no issue, either. Tell me this fighter's name."

Bulma looked as if she didn't want to say. And having reviewed the planet's history, when West Kaioshin heard the name, she completely understood Bulma's reluctance... as well as her belief that this evil being might save them all.

* * *

Beerus had ordered Goku to bring the Universe 7 team to Capsule Corp when he was done with recruiting. His excuse was that he wanted to meet Vegeta's daughter. The reality was that he felt very much like stress-eating. Which made him rather easy to find.

By now, Beerus knew to be wary whenever Bulma was too nice to him. He could not destroy her, however, because she was his main food supplier on this planet. With anyone else, the food might not be as good, or served as fast, and certainly not in such large quantities. Unfortunately, Bulma also knew this, so she tended to get an attitude with him where once she would have only been afraid.

It was more than a little annoying... but so long as the food kept coming, Beerus could adjust.

It was not even rare to see Bulma accompanied by West Kaioshin, either. And yet Beerus sensed that something was off as they approached his dining table.

"Please forgive the interruption, Beerus-sama," West Kaioshin said, bowing her head. "But I bring news that may change the outcome of the Tournament of Power."

Beerus blinked and put down the milkshake he'd been drinking, licking the foam from his lips. "I'm listening."

"Bulma-sama believes she may be able to recruit a fighter that can, with some effort, easily surpass some fighters that Goku plans to recruit from this planet."

Beerus stared at Bulma. "You've got pretty high hopes for that baby of yours, then."

Bulma frowned at him. "No, it's not Bra! This fighter is dead. But I doubt this will be a case where we can simply revive him with any Dragon Balls. I'm going to need some godly influence to get this done. So I want you to tell me if I'm wrong in thinking this would make a difference."

"You are not a fighter yourself, but I will not deny that some of your ideas have been noteworthy. So, why do you think it's worth it to revive this fighter?"

"My son from the future was the one who killed Frieza the first time he attacked Earth. But my son was no match for this fighter, even after considerable training."

"So this fighter is stronger than a Super Saiya-jin?" Beerus asked, sounding slightly more interested. "Well, that's a start."

"It's not just that. He has DNA from Goku, Vegeta, and Frieza. Which means there is a strong possibility that he might be able to become the third-strongest fighter on the team, at the least."

"You think he will surpass Goku's son?" Beerus asked.

Bulma smiled grimly. "Oh, I can guarantee that much. But since we are short on time, there are a couple of things I'll need your help with."

* * *

Pikkon had found the role of being West Kaioshin's attendant to be a rather enjoyable one. He had been under the mistaken impression that he would be acting as her servant. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

He was a fighter, and she understood and encouraged that. The bulk of his time was spent on training, and she would either observe him or occupy herself with her own duties. She occasionally requested that he accompany her to various places, which exposed him to a wide range of beings, many who had trained in very different styles of combat and didn't mind demonstrating them. In this way, being her attendant had taught him nearly as much about fighting as training under Whis had. Where Whis's training allowed Pikkon to fight at a much higher level, Pikkon's own travels allowed him to fight in a variety of ways on that level.

So it was not only a pleasure, but an honor, to be asked to accompany Whis to Hell. Along the way, Whis shared the details of the Tournament of Power. In return, Pikkon shared all that he knew about the fighter they had been sent to retrieve.

"There is something I'm curious about, Whis-sensei," Pikkon said. "It sounds as if you have nothing to lose, even if this universe is erased. Why go this far to help us?"

"It is true that I would be spared if this universe were erased," Whis agreed. "But do not misunderstand: I do not want it to be erased. I am duty-bound to prevent rule-breaking, but I will happily support the efforts to prepare for the Tournament of Power otherwise."

"Then how do you explain what you did with Bulma's baby?"

Whis smiled. "Vegeta is easily one of this universe's strongest fighters. It would have been a shame if he missed the Tournament by a few hours merely because his little princess decided to delay her grand entrance. I am quite sure that Zeno-sama would have been disappointed as well, which is what we must avoid at all costs. In fact, that is also why I agreed to this current task."

"I must thank you for that," Pikkon said. "Even as West Kaioshin's attendant, I am certain my authority does not carry enough weight to accomplish this feat."

"As I said, this is a time of crisis. I am sure that we will have few difficulties, if any."

* * *

Whis was more correct that he knew.

The conversation with the ogres who ran Hell went exactly like this:

"For the sake of the continued existence of this universe, we demand that you release the prisoner Cell into our custody."

"THANK YOU! Just promise us that you'll take that troublemaker out of here and never bring him back!"

The ogres even provided a guide to lead Whis and Pikkon straight to Cell.

"That was much easier than I thought it would be," Whis admitted to Pikkon.

"That's because you haven't seen... well, the hell that Cell puts them through," Pikkon explained. "He is by far one of the strongest beings in Hell. And he knows it, so he leads regular, successful revolts against the ogres. The only reason the ogres are still in power here is because they always call on someone like me to put Cell in his place... which is the prison they lock him up in, and the same one that he always escapes from once he's regained his strength."

"This sounds like it has happened a lot," Whis noted. "They never came up with a permanent solution?"

"We just became that solution, Whis-sensei. That's why they made us promise not to bring him back."

* * *

Not surprisingly, Cell and his gang had once again broken out of prison.

But surprisingly, they had done virtually nothing after that. They had merely relocated to a large warehouse in plain sight of the prison. It was as if, despite having no current desire to escape Hell, Cell's gang simply wanted to remind the ogres who truly held the power there. And since the ogres had yet to formally request help to deal with them, perhaps the lesson had been learned.

And yet it was immediately clear that Pikkon held his own sway in Hell. Most of the gang made themselves scarce the second they saw him. Those that were brave enough not to run still looked extremely uneasy as Pikkon moved past them with Whis following behind him. Only one person recognized Whis, however, and he was clearly more afraid than anyone else.

Whis paused in front of the Saiya-jin. "Calm yourself. We are not here for you."

"You want Cell?" the Saiya-jin asked.

Whis nodded.

"He's in the back, with Frieza. Or what's left of Frieza, by now."

"Your assistance is appreciated, Vegeta-sama."

The former Saiya-jin king shook his head. "I'm no fool. Dead as I am, Beerus-sama could still destroy me. Even if he didn't, things never go well for us with Pikkon around."

"So nice to hear such glowing praise of one of my students," Whis murmured, causing the king's face to drain of color as he stared at Pikkon in shock.

* * *

Pikkon and Whis found Cell at the rear of the warehouse, staring down in disgust at the freshly beaten form of Frieza on the floor. As they watched, the black wings of Cell's perfect form twitched irritably, dislodging some of Frieza's blood from them.

"Oh my. We seem to have interrupted something," Whis observed.

Pikkon shook his head. "I believe the lesson has already ended. Surely even Frieza must now admit who the strongest is."

Cell turned and glared at them, crossing his arms over his chest. "I see that those spineless weaklings have called for backup again. I'm in a bad mood, so I won't make it easy for you."

Pikkon narrowed his eyes, peering at Cell intently. "Your power has increased since we last met. Keeping Frieza in line must have done you some good. But we are here for a different purpose. You have been released into the custody of the gods, and we are here to transfer you, Cell."

Cell blinked slowly, glancing between them suspiciously. "Who is your companion and why can I not sense his power?"

Pikkon smirked. "As I said, you are in the hands of the gods now. Do you think it would be such a simple matter for just anyone to gauge their power?"

"And if I refuse?" Cell asked softly.

"Then we can do things the usual way: with force."

"What do the gods want with me? And why now?"

"Allow me to explain," Whis offered. "I am Whis, attendant to the Hakaishin of Universe 7, Beerus-sama. In less than two days, our universe will send ten fighters to compete with those from other universes in the Tournament of Power. Losing universes will be erased from existence. We are here to recruit you to fight. That is, assuming you do not wish to be erased."

Cell stared at Pikkon. "You will be one of the fighters, I assume?"

Pikkon nodded. "Unless ten fighters more suitable than me can be found, I will participate."

Cell chuckled. "Ten fighters more suitable than you. That's very amusing, Pikkon."

"It is not just a question of power," Whis said. "Teamwork and strategy is also a factor in this tournament, which is another reason your aid will prove valuable. We have it on good authority that you are very familiar with the techniques and fighting styles of most of the potential members."

Cell's eyes narrowed. "You mean Goku and his friends."

"Will that be a problem for you?" Whis asked.

"No. I can put my grudge aside long enough to ensure the universe survives. If it didn't, my vengeance would be impossible to carry out, after all."

"That is a rather mature way to look at it." Whis paused and glanced at the fallen form of Frieza. "But, tell me. When you defeated Frieza, was he using his golden form?"

Cell snorted. "Of course. I will admit that he even managed to kill me a few times, but that means nothing here. All I had to do was outlast him. Once he had severely drained his own stamina, it was simple to pick him apart, despite his power being greater than my own. It didn't hurt that I have practice at that sort of thing."

"Pikkon, you have fought both Cell and Frieza," Whis noted. "How would you compare their respective powers now?"

"Cell has always been much stronger than Frieza," Pikkon answered at once. "I have not fought Frieza since he gained this golden form, but from what you told me, even someone that trained under you would have some difficulty with it, at first. So no matter how well Cell knew Frieza, I consider the fact that he was able to exploit the form's weakness, without training under you, to be a huge credit to his abilities. It also convinces me, more than ever, that we must recruit him."

Whis nodded slowly. "I see. And do you think he could repeat this feat outside of the confines of Hell?"

"You believe that my victory is due to Hell's rules of virtual immortality, is that it?" Cell asked, barely suppressing his fury. "There is only one person who defeated me while I was alive, and that victory came at a very high cost. Frieza has never been a challenge for me, and he certainly isn't now, golden form and all. Yet even he could kill the majority of Goku's friends without breaking a sweat. If you still doubt me, I will happily humiliate any member of this supposed team of yours in combat."

"That won't be necessary," Whis said. "And I was asking, not because I doubted your abilities, but because Pikkon is the only person I know who has defeated you here. That makes him the most accurate judge of what you would be capable of outside of Hell. If you have always been Frieza's better, then I have every reason to believe that you can far surpass his peak."

"That much, we agree on," Cell replied. "But I will need what little time remains to prepare."

"That is no problem," Whis assured him. "We have arranged a specialized training area for you. I am told it is the very same one that Goku, Gohan, Vegeta, and Trunks used to prepare for the Cell Games."

The shock on Cell's face was obvious, but it quickly became amusement, and then overwhelming desire. "That... will be perfect."

* * *

Bulma was feeling quite out of sorts as she nervously paced around the Lookout. Her plan to add Cell to the Universe 7 team made sense, in theory, but she was under no illusions. He could not be trusted, and she had only suggested this at all because there were several people stronger than Cell who could be trusted to destroy him, if it came to that. And she knew it would, eventually.

Even if Cell behaved himself and helped them save the universe, Bulma knew he was too dangerous to leave alive. And that would especially be the case after the training he was about to attempt. It felt odd, to intentionally plan to use and betray Cell, but this was the same bio-android who had killed her son to reach this timeline, and then tried to kill him again once there. She was not about to feel mercy or sympathy for him.

Fear was not off of the table, however, and Bulma realized it the instant she turned to find Whis and Pikkon standing a few feet away with Cell between them. The closest she had ever physically been to Cell before then was holding the discarded halves of his egg, and later on, being close enough to touch his shed skin. And just imagining the monster that had crawled out of it had left her nearly paralyzed with fear. Actually being in his presence now was so much worse than that, even with Whis and Pikkon there, and the halo floating just above Cell's head that guaranteed he was still dead.

Because now she could see the confident, mocking smile on his face as they approached.

"I am told that you are the one who arranged this?" Cell asked smoothly.

Bulma blinked and forced herself to nod.

His smile widened. "You have my thanks, dear lady. It almost makes me sorry that I killed your son in my timeline. Almost."

Bulma closed her eyes, and had to bite her lip to keep herself from responding. Thankfully, Pikkon and Whis took the hint, and Bulma could hear the three of them moving away from her. She wanted so badly to put Cell in his place, but there was little point. Even if she managed to come up with something truly scathing, at worst, it might anger him to the point where he killed her instantly. At best, he might refuse to cooperate and doom them all in the process. No, what mattered now was that he got strong enough to make a difference. Everything else would have to take a backseat to that. And Bulma had to be satisfied with the knowledge that Cell would get what was coming to him in the end. But for now, the monster that had killed one of her children was going to save them both.

The trio had almost reached the Lookout's interior when it happened: two near-silent footfalls sounded just behind Bulma. She turned around, expecting to see one of her friends, and instead came face-to-face with what she first took to be a very distorted mirror.

It was her own face that gazed back at her, but with several key differences. This was Bulma's face as it had looked when she was a teenager. In fact, taking in the entire package, this young woman was a convincing double for Bulma on the very day she'd first met Goku. Physically, at least. But that was where the similarities ended. In particular, the Saiya-jin armor she wore, the blue-furred tail wrapped around her waist, and the red-tinted scouter on her face were the biggest differences.

The longer Bulma stared, however, the more convinced she became that it wasn't her. Rather, her thoughts turned to her newborn baby girl, currently in her mother's care, but who would almost certainly grow up to greatly resemble Bulma, just as the person before her did.

Bulma swallowed loudly and hesitantly licked her suddenly dry lips. "Bra-chan?" she whispered. "Is that you?"

The half Saiya-jin teenager before her blinked and frowned slightly. "I don't know who that is. But there can be no mistaking who you are." She stepped closer, directly into Bulma's personal space, and to Bulma's amazement, began to sniff her. "Yes, it is you. This scent, I know it well."

Bulma tried to speak, but before she could, the teenager was embracing her, gently but firmly. "Kaa-san," the girl breathed in her ear. "I'm glad that you're safe." It should have been strange. It wasn't. Every instinct that Bulma possessed told her to return the embrace, and so she did, more certain than ever that this was indeed her daughter, if only answering to a different name.

"You are my daughter," Bulma insisted. "I can feel it."

She felt the girl nod against her cheek. "That is the strength of our bond."

"You said your name wasn't Bra. But that is the name I just gave my daughter. What is yours?"

There was a notable pause, and then the girl slowly released her. "This is unexpected," she murmured. "I intended to arrive well before my birth in this timeline. But for you to already have a daughter, unless..." She trailed off, shook her head, then lowered herself to one knee, bowing her head respectfully. "Greetings, kaa-san. I am Eschalot. My father named me."

"That explains a lot," Bulma replied. "You've come from the future, right?"

Eschalot looked up at her. "You don't seem surprised."

"You aren't my first time-traveling child," Bulma pointed out. "But you are the first one to tell me right away that you are my child, though. Your brother kept his identity a secret, but I understand why he had to. So, are you here to save us from a terrible fate as well?"

Eschalot stood up. "I must admit, it's convenient for me that you've been through this before with my... brother? I suppose his name was not Sansai?"

"No, it was, and is, Trunks." At Eschalot's blank look, Bulma quickly moved on. "So, what's the trouble?"

"Primarily, I am here because our records of this time period are incomplete, due to a filing accident. But now that I am here, I can say with confidence that your current preparations for the Tournament of Power will not be enough. You are pointed in the proper direction, but you are missing a key element that will ensure your survival."

It was then that Bulma noticed Eschalot was staring past her, which made her realize that Whis, Pikkon, and Cell had never gone inside the Lookout. They, too, must have been curious about Eschalot's arrival. Cell seemed especially interested, and Bulma suspected that any other time traveller would be of great interest to him. Likewise, Eschalot seemed to be staring directly at him.

"I take it this key element has something to do with Cell?" Bulma asked.

Eschalot nodded. "Yes. In particular, there is an aspect of his body that you have not taken into account. Can I assume that since I see no other Saiya-jin here, you wish to keep this from them?"

Bulma suddenly felt nervous. Eschalot had been named by her father, and was clearly a warrior. There was a very good chance that she would be more loyal to her father, rather than her mother.

As if she could sense the direction of Bulma's thoughts, Eschalot smiled. "Don't worry, kaa-san. I have had to do battle with my father's pride more than once. I have no problem keeping a secret from him. Particularly in this case. Our records show that Cell played a vital role in the Tournament of Power, due to his mastery of transformations."

"What do you mean?" Cell demanded. "What transformations?"

"And this is why I say your preparations are not complete," Eschalot explained to Bulma. "Cell's body was created to excel in battle. Any technique that he witnesses or experiences firsthand, is capable of learning, and is deemed worth learning, is carved into his cellular structure, independent of his own will. All he requires is an opportunity to draw out the technique, and time enough to make it his own."

Cell looked stunned, a clear sign that he had not expected Eschalot to have that information. "How can you possibly know so much about my body?" Cell asked.

"Because you told me, and every other student who trained under you, on the very first day," Eschalot answered. "You had no patience for students who wasted all their energy on transformations that they then could not use properly. I hope you will allow me to return the favor, and show you what I learned from you."

"Hold on," Bulma said. "You're telling me that in the future, Cell is teaching Saiya-jin kids how to fight?"

"Not all of them," Eschalot replied. "Just those who have royal blood or special permission. Which reminds me." Eschalot drew a folded note from a compartment in her armor and presented it to Whis. "I was instructed to give this to you, Whis-san."

Whis took the note, unfolded it, and quickly read it. His expression revealed nothing as he immediately pressed the note against the tip of his staff, which vaporized the note on contact. "Pikkon, the young lady will be overseeing Cell's training with you. It seems you both have something to teach him."

Pikkon gave Eschalot a curious glance, but nodded. "If you say so, Whis-sensei."

"Wait!" Bulma protested, grabbing Eschalot's arm without thinking. "You're not seriously going in there with Cell?!" She could not really be blamed for her knee-jerk reaction, all things considered. Bulma had no intention of allowing another of her children to die at Cell's hands.

In the next instant, three things became perfectly clear to all who bore witness.

The first was that Bulma's concern for Eschalot's safety was entirely misplaced, because the aura of malice that suddenly erupted from the teenager made everyone but Whis freeze in awe of its potency.

The second was that if Eschalot had not had a tighter reign on her temper, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that she would have killed Bulma on the spot.

The last was that if Eschalot could react that way to someone who both was her mother and posed no threat to her, Cell could certainly not expect any mercy from her. And perhaps his own future self was the one who had trained her to think in such a way.

In any case, Eschalot did catch herself, and the aura faded at once. The damage had been done, however, and Bulma was staring at the teenager with naked fear in her eyes.

"I apologize, kaa-san," Eschalot said softly. "But the one thing I hate most is to have my combat ability called into question, especially by those who could not even begin to accurately judge it. Trust me when I tell you that as he is now, Cell is no threat to me." With that, she pulled free of Bulma's limp grasp and walked away, not bothering once to look back.

In the wake of her newfound fear of Eschalot, Bulma began to realize that she had made a mistake. She had assumed that Eschalot looking so much like her meant that they would also be alike. Nothing could have been further from the truth. As she reviewed their conversation in her head, Bulma recognized that there had been several clues that she had missed at first.

Eschalot and her brother being named by their father, and confirming a person's identity by sniffing them, were rather large hints that Bulma's own influence had been limited at best. Eschalot had been raised as a Saiya-jin first and foremost.

The future version of Cell mainly training children of royal blood implied that there were also children of non-royal blood. Which, if Bulma's guess was correct, meant that Saiya-jin were again thriving somehow.

And the biggest hint by far was the way that Eschalot had reacted to Bulma grabbing her in an attempt to restrain. Bulma had seen angry teenagers before, but Eschalot's reaction had been far beyond that. Just for a few seconds, Eschalot had looked at Bulma as if she were nothing. As if Bulma had no right to even touch her. And no child of Bulma's would ever react to her that way. Not unless she had absolutely no say in how they were raised.

Yet, it was clear that Eschalot loved her. But she had not been raised to view Bulma as any sort of authority figure, and certainly not someone who could correct her. And the more Bulma thought about it, the more all of the hints pointed to one iron-clad conclusion.

Eschalot was not from the future. Not from the future of this timeline, anyway. No, for a child who behaved as Eschalot did to be raised, there was only one way it could have possibly happened. When the Saiya-jin had come to Earth, they had not been defeated. And that Bulma had not willingly agreed to be with Vegeta. She had been taken by him as a slave, and so no matter how much Eschalot loved her mother, in the end, what was a mere slave to a princess? A source of amusement? Someone she could choose to obey only in private, but publicly had the freedom to spit on?

Bulma realized she had to do something. But as she started to open her mouth, Whis coughed, loudly and falsely, then merely shook his head, indicating that she should say nothing. Bulma stared at him, and then after the backs of Cell, Eschalot, and Pikkon as Mr. Popo guided them inside the Lookout.

"I know what you are thinking," Whis said softly. "But trust me when I say that what will happen in that room is necessary."

"How can you possibly know that?" Bulma asked.

"To state it very simply: the note that Eschalot gave me was from another version of myself. There were things in it that only I could ever know."

Bulma's eyes narrowed. "You said 'another' version of you. Not the future version of you."

Whis nodded. "I suspected you had guessed that much. I also do not believe that girl to be from the future. But I would remind you that it was you who first stated that she was. She merely went along with your mistaken assumption. An assumption, I might add, that you likely would not have made, had the laws concerning time travel been more strictly enforced in this universe."

"Is now really the time for this again?"

Whis arched an eyebrow. "Perhaps, considering the majority of the time travelers in this universe seem to be directly related to you."

"Shouldn't you be more concerned that she's lying?"

"I would ask you the same thing. If nothing else, she has the support of another me. I cannot say the same for certain about her actual mother. Can you?"

Bulma frowned. "No. And that's only one of things that worries me about her."

"In any case, I am not certain how willing Eschalot will be to provide the answers that you seek," Whis said. "I will keep an eye on things here. As you said, you have experience with a time-traveling child. Surely you have an idea of where to begin looking for clues?"

"Yes. Eschalot flew up here, but I doubt she just flew through time. She must have a time machine somewhere on Earth, and there are precious few things that can give off the same type of energy as a time machine. I should be able to locate it easily enough, if she used it recently."

"I would hurry," Whis suggested. "There is no guarantee Cell will need a full year in that room. You likely only have a matter of hours."

"I may be able to save you a considerable amount of time," Dende offered as he approached them. "I've been speaking telepathically with Kaio-sama, and he has noticed something odd. There is an extra Namek on Earth, and neither of us could even begin to explain how they got here. But with the arrival of Eschalot, I now have a working theory. I do not think she came to this time alone."

"But did she mean to bring a Namek with her?" Bulma asked. "Or is this another unwelcome stowaway like Cell was?"

"That is something I intend to find out personally," Dende said. "I will be coming with you. There may be a communication barrier otherwise."

"Good thinking, Dende," Bulma agreed. "I never really got a good handle on your language. But I think we're going to need some muscle on this one. I realize Nameks are generally peaceful, but-"

"But we cannot assume too much just yet," Dende concluded. "I agree. And I have requested some assistance."

A few seconds later, West Kaioshin appeared in front of Bulma and Dende. "I hear we have a time-travelling Namek to find?"

"That was fast," Bulma noted.

"I happened to be with North Kaio at the time." West Kaioshin smiled at them both. "So, shall we go, my friends?"

* * *

The moment the door clicked shut, a heady mix of anticipation, wariness, and dread settled upon Cell. No matter what happened from this point on, he was guaranteed to leave this room stronger than when he entered, and he was eager to get started.

Unfortunately, he was in no position to rush either of his teachers. Pikkon was clearly stronger than him, and Eschalot, while her abilities were still unknown, could be even more dangerous, if that display earlier was any indication.

Cell glanced at Eschalot, noticing that she was examining the food supply. Pikkon, on the other hand, had briefly taken a look outside, but was now watching each of them carefully.

"Eschalot," Pikkon said abruptly, drawing her attention. "To best use our time here, I think we should coordinate our efforts. I don't know what you plan to-"

"Divine ki, right?" Eschalot interrupted. "That's what you'll teach him to use?"

Pikkon frowned and nodded.

"That makes things simple, then. I plan to help him master the stages below that first." Eschalot removed her scouter and placed it on a nearby table. "I expect it won't take long. You should have plenty of time for your turn."

* * *

The Namek was not hard to find. Dende tracked him to a desert, of all places. Bulma found this odd, but she did not understand Dende's distress until he reminded her that Nameks needed only water to survive. Odds were, he had not chosen this location.

Rather, he hadn't been in a position to choose anything. This was confirmed the moment they saw the steel collar around his neck, the bruises on his face, and the way his tattered robes hung from his skeletal frame.

The Namek did not seem afraid of them, merely wary. He did not relax when Dende addressed him in Namekian. Even through the language barrier, Bulma could tell that the responses were clipped and entirely lacking the warmth that she had witnessed between the majority of Nameks when they interacted with each other. He sounded more like the Piccolo of old. But while Piccolo had been pure evil then, Bulma suspected this Namek was a victim of considerable tragedy.

After several minutes during which Dende's growing frustration with the conversation became obvious, he turned slowly to Bulma and West Kaioshin.

"I have managed to convince him," Dende said slowly, with great effort, "that I am not a slave, and that you two are not my masters."

Bulma's eyes widened. "Are the Saiya-jin-?"

"Yes." Dende did not quite spit the word out, but it was a very near thing. "He belongs to Eschalot. In their world, she is the first princess of the empire."

"And those bruises on his face?" Bulma asked worriedly.

Dende shook his head. "She does not touch him directly. Only those who lack imagination do."

Bulma didn't like the answer, but not for the obvious reason. "Does she hurt him?"

Dende stared at her. Finally, he offered, "She is not kind to him."

Bulma sighed heavily.

"What is his name?" West Kaioshin asked.

Dende didn't look at her.

"You haven't said it," she added, more pointedly.

"It's the first thing the Saiya-jin take from them. He has no memory of it, he is a number now. But I refuse to call him by that label, even if it doesn't matter to him."

West Kaioshin gently touched Dende's arm. "Please tell him we will call him whatever he likes."

With a weary smile, Dende translated the offer. The Namek eyed them curiously, though not kindly, and barked a single word. Dende looked startled, but not unpleasantly so, for once.

"Eschalot calls him Mame. It is better than a number, at least."

"Does he like it?" West Kaioshin asked.

Dende shrugged. "He prefers it to the number. In part because it is against protocol to rename slaves. But for royals like Eschalot, rules are generally things that happen to other people."

"Please tell him that we will free him, if he desires it. Also, that any information he is willing to provide would be appreciated, but that it is not a requirement."

Dende glanced at Bulma, who nodded firmly, and then translated the offer.

Mame did not look impressed. He also did not look angry. If anything, he seemed bored. He took his time in answering, though his reply was longer than nearly anything he had said up to that point.

"He does not believe the offer is real, and even if it is, he rejects it," Dende said. "He will not betray Eschalot, though this is not due to fear of her."

A thought occurred to Bulma, and it was an unpleasant one. "Ask him who the Saiya-jin serve."

Dende shot her a mildly alarmed look. "What do you mean?"

Dende's reaction convinced her that she was on the right track. "This is important, Dende. Ask him."

Dende asked. Mame's answer was quick, but the way his eyes briefly shifted to West Kaioshin told Bulma the answer even before Dende translated.

"They serve the gods."

"Which gods?" Bulma pressed.

The answer was half of what Bulma expected, and half of what she didn't.

The first god the Saiya-jin served was Beerus. Whis's presence in their world confirmed that much already. But it was the second god that threw Bulma for a loop. It wasn't a Kaioshin, at least it didn't sound like one. But it was hard to say who it was, because Dende admitted that a great deal was lost in translation. The god's title broke down to something like "High Dragon Sage" and, though it was unclear why, Mame held the dragon god in higher regard than he did Beerus. Dende speculated this had nothing to do with a difference in power, and everything to do with origin. Which would mean that the High Dragon Sage was likely part of Namekian origin. But it was difficult to imagine a Namekian god who would allow or support the enslavement of his people.

* * *

It was unusual for anything to take priority over training for Vegeta, but... he had a newborn daughter now. And his being unprepared had already resulted in her recieving a name that was, while not unworthy of her, still not a name a Saiya-jin would have been given. Bulma was not a bad mother, just an alarmingly prepared and sneaky one. So when Bulma had left little Bra in Mrs. Briefs's care, Vegeta had insisted on lurking in the corner, watching the endless parade of visitors streaming in and out to see the baby. This went on for a few hours. Vegeta eventually had to admit that, having raised Bulma, Mrs. Briefs surely knew enough about raising children, and even if she did not, Chi-Chi was also hovering over Bra, when she was not preparing food. And much as Vegeta did not want to depend on a woman who had found Kakarot worthy of being her mate, he could not deny that between her cooking and her sternness, not to mention her outburst just after Pan had been born, Chi-Chi was truly worthy of being a Saiya-jin's mate, and a Saiya-jin child's mother.

None of which prevented him from momentarily taking Bra to make absolutely sure that she was in the peak of health. It certainly was not to say that Papa had to train now and that he would miss her terribly, as Mrs. Briefs seemed to think. It amounted to about the same either way: Bra giggled at him, and Vegeta reluctantly handed her to Chi-Chi, who had been eagerly waiting for another turn to hold her.

With that taken care of, Vegeta's focus returned to its proper place: he needed to get stronger for the Tournament of Power. He intended to spend as much time as possible in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, no matter what anyone else said. He was going to win the tournament for his universe, not Kakarot.

Only, there was a bit of a snag when he arrived at the Lookout: the room was already occupied.

"Who dares?!" Vegeta roared at Popo.

"There is no need to shout at me," Popo said calmly. "As for who is inside, that is-"

"Otou-sama?" said a soft voice.

Vegeta turned and got a bad shock. He didn't know how he knew, but he knew at once.

The girl walking toward him now: the way she moved with no wasted motion, dressed in Saiya-jin armor, and the uncanny resemblance to old photos of Bulma, there could be no doubt as to her identity.

She dropped to one knee before him and lowered her head. "It is good to see you in this world, my king. I am Eschalot, your daughter. Please forgive me. I had reserved the room's use for myself and my comrades, and had not realized you might require it. I humbly ask that you wait but a few more moments. And if it is training that you seek, please allow me to assist you. I can imagine no greater honor than being allowed to fight my father."

Vegeta stared down at the girl, saying nothing for a long moment. He glanced at Popo, who nodded to show she was being truthful, as far as they knew. Finally, he took a step forward and touched Eschalot's shoulder. "Stand. Let me look at you."

Eschalot rose at once. She stared into Vegeta's eyes without fear.

He could see there was confidence in her own power, but more than that, a desire to prove herself worthy. To him, perhaps, but also to herself. His eyes lingered on the blue tail wrapped around her waist. "Tell me, your tail. Is it only blue because it matches your hair?"

Eschalot smirked. "I would rather show you the answer in battle, my king."

* * *

Progress in gaining information from Mame was limited: under no circumstances would he reveal where the time machine he and Eschalot had traveled in was hidden, but with some prodding, he would answer questions about nearly anything else.

Bulma eventually decided that Mame was being so cooperative in part because of West Kaioshin's presence. While he had made no mention of any other gods in his universe beyond Beerus and the High Dragon Sage, he must have at least seen a Kaioshin before. Bulma figured their outfits and hairstyle were a dead giveaway no matter the world.

Ultimately, though, Bulma knew the time machine wasn't their biggest concern. If it came to that, she was sure that between Whis and the Kaioshin, they could manage to return Eschalot and Mame to their own world just fine. No, the larger concern was the true reason for their visit, which hopefully Whis knew, but clearly wasn't going to share. And as he had displayed no sense of urgency, and encouraged Bulma to find answers for herself, perhaps whatever threat Eschalot posed was currently managable.

But Bulma didn't like to think of her own child that way. And it wasn't enough to simply trust that Whis would handle things. From the looks of things, Bulma had already lost any chance to influence Eschalot. But she wasn't about to let Bra grow into her, or allow Eschalot to do anything that might alter Bra's chances of living a happy life. She hoped that would only mean forcing Eschalot to leave, at worst. But she feared that solving this problem would not be as simple as that. It never was.

Bulma decided not to risk spending too much time questioning Mame. As Whis had said, and as Bulma had already figured, Cell would not need a full day in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to dramatically improve his power. And there was no telling what Eschalot had taught him in the time that had already passed, or how quickly Cell would learn and master it. And if it was truly something that the Cell in Eschalot's world had passed on to her, that made it much more likely that this Cell could learn it.

West Kaioshin shared Bulma's concerns, but Dende, as Bulma had thought he might, wanted to continue speaking with Mame. This was not really a problem, except they had no idea how Eschalot would react if she returned. Actually, Bulma thought she knew exactly how Eschalot might react: she would think she'd found the perfect opportunity to gain a second slave. So it was in Earth's best interest that Eschalot not come across Dende while he was unprotected. And Bulma did not consider Mame to be suitable protection of any sort, if only because he was more likely to help Eschalot enslave Dende.

It was a delicate situation, however, because Bulma did not want to imply that possibility in front of Dende. Instead, she suggested that he convince Mame to return to the Lookout with them, in part because Eschalot was there. There was little deception in this: that was exactly where Bulma was going, and as far as she knew, Eschalot was still there. She simply did not say aloud that she would feel much safer around Whis.

Mame appeared suspicious of the offer, and only agreed after he had confirmed that he could indeed sense Eschalot in the direction they'd indicated. A task that apparently became much easier for some, when West Kaioshin and Dende both became rather alarmed.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Bulma asked.

"I know that you cannot sense divine ki, Bulma-sama," West Kaioshin said slowly. "But we can, and... it is now clear that Eschalot was not misleading you about one thing. She really is qualified to teach Cell about transformations."

* * *

Vegeta had wasted no time in confirming his suspicion about Eschalot. He began the fight in Super Saiya-jin Blue, and to no great surprise, she did the same. And it was clear from the way she handled herself in that form that she was no stranger to it. No, if Vegeta had to guess, he would have said that she was more comfortable in that form than he was. He now felt certain: her tail had not been blue when she was born with it, but instead had gradually turned that color to reflect the state that she was most comfortable in.

And there was something else, something puzzling and concerning: Eschalot didn't fight like a Saiya-jin, or not only like one, anyway. In her combat style, Vegeta saw signs of not only his influence, but that of several others. Either she had many teachers, or just one that exposed her to a large variety of styles. But it wasn't something she would have learned from any Saiya-jin. Most worrying of all, he recognized many of the styles, and the idea that Eschalot had trained with a different person to gain each one of them grew less and less likely. Thus, the likelihood that she had trained with only one person to gain them all, and that Vegeta knew precisely who that one person was, grew stronger with every passing second.

"Cell," he growled with certainty, bringing the fight to an abrupt halt. "You've been taught by Cell, haven't you?"

Eschalot merely nodded.

"How is this possible? How was he not destroyed by Kakarot's son?"

Eschalot blinked. "Son? Kakarot has sons here?"

Vegeta froze. If there was no Gohan, that would explain why Cell hadn't been defeated. "What are you saying? That where you come from, Kakarot has no children?"

"No, he has them," Eschalot confirmed. "They just aren't sons."

Vegeta's eyes widened. Kakarot had daughters? That was... surprising. But if Vegeta's own daughter had turned out this strong, then surely Kakarot's children, despite their gender being different, would still have some amount of strength. Unless Eschalot's world was more different than he realized. "Tell me. Who is Kakarot in your world?"

"Commander of the Royal Guard, and your most trusted subordinate."

"He gained that position through his strength?"

Eschalot shrugged. "Partially. He inherited it from his father, who inherited it from his father. Their family have always been guardsmen, as far as I know. But they've also always been second in power only to our family, so it's not like there was anyone better for the job."

"Then his girls are strong?"

"Strong enough to spar with me. And there's no chance of anyone but the oldest inheriting Kakarot's job."

Vegeta frowned. "What about Raditz?"

"He said being in charge wasn't for him. Would rather take orders from his little brother than have to deal with all the headaches that Kakarot does."

"And Kakarot's wife?"

"You mean Tarachi?"

"Who?" Vegeta demanded.

Eschalot shrugged. "That's her name. Or it is now."

Vegeta almost asked, but then realized he didn't need to. It wasn't a hard concept for him to grasp. If the Saiya-jin had come to Earth and won, they would have wiped out the population. But if they happened to come across any humans that might make pleasing mates, the first thing they would take away is their names. And if Kakarot were just as soft in that world, surely he would allow his wife to keep part of her old name.

"I would have you tell me more of your world, later," Vegeta said.

Eschalot nodded. "I would ask the same of you, my king. It seems this time is different from what our records indicated. Perhaps I made a mistake in my calculations."

"I doubt that very much." At Eschalot's questioning look, he snorted. "You are Bulma's daughter," he said simply. His confidence in Bulma's intelligence, and that it had been passed on to their daughter, was clear.

Eschalot's eyes widened for a moment, but then she nodded. "She is also... different from what I expected. The same in some ways, but... still different."

"Have you... met your younger self?" Vegeta asked awkwardly.

Eschalot blinked. "Ah. No. I don't think it... well, I have never been good with children. I was only exposed to Kakarot's brood growing up, and that only worked out because they are notoriously tough to damage. Blows to the head don't seem to phase them at all."

Vegeta shook his head slightly. "Your mother... Bulma... would insist that you meet Bra, I think."

Eschalot looked briefly terrified, then confused. "But, my king, surely you do not-?"

"You will meet her," Vegeta said firmly. "For just a moment. After that, you can tell me about your mother."

Eschalot didn't look like she wanted to agree to either order, but she finally bowed to him. "As you command, my king." And as Vegeta flew past her, heading for Capsule Corp, a tiny smirk appeared on Eschalot's face for a moment, before she allowed her slightly resentful expression to resurface and flew after him.

Away from the Lookout. Away from the two potential team members who still trained within the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, that Vegeta still did not know the identities of.

Just as Eschalot had planned all along.

* * *

Seconds after West Kaioshin trasported herself, Bulma, Dende, and Mame to the Lookout, they got a rather bad shock as Goku appeared just in front of them.

"Hey, guys!" he greeted, then paused. "Dende, you've got a friend! A cousin visiting from Namek, maybe?"

It was worth noting that Mame was not at all alarmed by a Saiya-jin appearing abruptly in front of him. If anything, he seemed somewhat puzzled by Goku's choice of clothing.

"Uh... something like that," Dende murmured. "Did you need something, Goku?"

"Oh, yeah!" Goku held out a piece of paper. "Um, Android 18 wrote down Android 17's address for me, but, I'm not really sure where this place is..."

Bulma frowned as she snatched the paper from him. "And why do you need to find him?" she snapped. It was, of course, a chance for Goku to come clean about hiding the news about the Tournament of Power from them.

Naturally, he didn't take it. In no small part because Bulma was already visibly angry, but she had been too annoyed to take that into account. "Uh, just wanted to catch up, see how he was doing," Goku lied, laughing uneasily.

"And you think Dende has nothing better to do than look up an address for you?"

Goku blinked slowly. "Well, I figure it's pretty much impossible for him to get lost on a planet he's responsible for..."

Glaring at him, Bulma pulled out her phone, mashed a few buttons on it, and in seconds had a map on screen. "It's not even that complicated. Here, take my phone. The map function works just like the Dragon Radar. It zooms in when you get close, so you don't even have to press anything." After a beat she added, "DON'T PRESS ANYTHING."

"Okay, okay!" Goku cried as she threw the phone at him. "Geez, you're in a rotten mood today, Bulma!"

She very nearly snapped at him, but caught herself. "I just had a baby, in case you forgot. I'm allowed to be a little emotional for reasons beyond your understanding!"

"Oh, that. So that's a real thing? I was thinking Chi-Chi just made it up when Gohan was born, but I guess not. Well, I'll stay out of your way, then." Goku vanished before she could respond.

Mame was staring at Bulma with new respect in his gaze. He muttered something to Dende, who translated. "He's amazed that you aren't afraid of the Saiya-jin."

Bulma frowned. "Ask him if he knows Eschalot's mother."

Dende did. "He does, and while she does not agree with everything the Saiya-jin do, she would never dare to openly defy them. Not a second time, at least."

"What happened the first time?"

Even when Dende asked, Mame gave no reply. But Bulma could tell from his expression: he wasn't refusing to answer. He just didn't want to give voice to what had been done to that Bulma as punishment. And that did not make this Bulma eager to get the details.

Just then, Popo appeared and hurried toward them. "I'm afraid there was a bit of a situation. Vegeta arrived, intending to train here, but of course the Hyperbolic Time Chamber was still in use. However, Eschalot had apparently finished her training with Cell, and emerged first, leaving Cell and Pikkon inside to finish while she distracted Vegeta."

"Then Vegeta doesn't know who is inside?" Bulma asked worriedly.

"It does not appear so. After sparring briefly with Eschalot, he decided to leave, and she accompanied him."

"That confirms it. Under no circumstances would Vegeta leave if he knew. Eschalot is smarter than I gave her credit for. I wish I could be proud, but that makes her all the more dangerous, until we know exactly why she's really here."

"Well, I'm pretty sure I know where she and Vegeta are going," West Kaioshin added. "I can sense their energy. They're headed for Capsule Corp. Should we follow them?"

"Some of us have to," Bulma sighed. "We did promise that we'd take Mame to Eschalot, and we still need Dende to translate. I'm also worried about what Eschalot might be planning for my family." She turned to Popo. "I'm sorry, but until Cell and Pikkon are done, can I ask you to distract anyone who comes here wanting to use the Hyperbolic Time Chamber?"

"That shouldn't be a problem," Popo replied. "Whis-san estimates they should be done in a few minutes.

"I think we should bring Cell to Capsule Corp when he's done. Eschalot should want to help us keep Cell hidden from the others, and failing that, protect him when they do find out. Not that he should need protection if this goes well, but it's probably best to avoid a fight."

"On the other hand," West Kaioshin murmured, "you know they'll be firmly against Cell, and surely one of the reasons they'll try to use is that he isn't strong enough. So if they can see firsthand that he is..."

Bulma grimaced. "Yes, but the problem is in making sure it doesn't go beyond a sparring match. I'm sure Whis could handle it, but I feel like we're asking too much of him as it is. Between Bra's birth, going to Hell, and now having to keep an eye on things up here-"

"You need not worry yourself," Whis interrupted as he emerged from the Lookout. "I am quite up to the task and willing to help out." He was followed at a distance by Pikkon and - Bulma did a double-take because it was the last thing she was expecting to see - Imperfect Cell.

"W-What happened to him?!" Bulma shrieked.

Cell smirked and said nothing.

Whis sighed. "Do not worry, Pikkon assures me that the training was very successful. Cell has mastered all the necessary transformations. In doing so, however, he has gained an appreciation for forms that do not waste energy. So for the time being, he will remain in his Imperfect form. This will no doubt lead to some underestimating his power, which is an added bonus. Trust me, he is more than capable of defending himself from anyone currently living on this planet."

Bulma looked at Cell again. He didn't seem at all concerned. And she could not imagine that he would look that way while in his Imperfect form if he were stuck in it. So Whis was most likely correct in everything he'd said. "Well, if you're sure, then I guess we should get going."

* * *

Mrs. Briefs was humming softly, slowly rocking baby Bra in her arms when Vegeta entered the nursery. "Oh, Vegeta! Welcome home!" she said in a loud whisper, clearly trying not to disturb her new granddaughter. "Did the proud Papa come to check on his sweet little girl?"

Vegeta paused and glanced uncertainly at the door he'd just entered through. "About that... we have some family business to address."

After a long pause, someone else entered. At the sight of the person, Mrs. Briefs was so shocked that she actually opened her eyes fully. She was looking at a teenaged version of Bulma.

"This is Eschalot," Vegeta said, gesturing to the girl. "Our daughter from the future. The person that Bra might have grown up to be, if not for... certain changes." He turned to Eschalot. "Eschalot, this Bulma's mother... your grandmother."

Eschalot frowned and slowly stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "Hello, obaa-san. I am-"

"Oh, she's just adorable!" Mrs. Briefs squealed, startling both Vegeta and Eschalot. In an instant, Vegeta found himself holding Bra, and Eschalot stiffened as Mrs. Briefs gave her an enthusiastic hug. "I still remember when Bulma was at this age, running around and getting into all sorts of crazy adventures!" Mrs. Briefs paused to take a good look at Eschalot. "You're in much better shape than she was then, though. You must get plenty of exercise! I hope I can still tempt you to stay and have some tea with your baa-chan?"

Eschalot gaped at her. "I... um, no. I only came here to... that is, I am supposed to meet-"

"Oh, you must want to meet Bra-chan!" Instantly, Bra was back in the arms of Mrs. Briefs, and Vegeta was staring at his empty arms in astonishment. Eschalot had no more time to ponder that, because suddenly her arms were full of baby.

Bra was a very easygoing baby, and liked almost everyone, with the notable exceptions of Yamcha and Mr. Satan. Vegeta personally felt she had good reason in both cases. So it was perfectly reasonable to expect that she would like Eschalot.

Bra, perhaps sensing she was no longer in the familiar arms of her grandmother or father, slowly opened her eyes, and stared up into Eschalot's uneasy face. Bra blinked a few times, perhaps puzzled at seeing a younger version of her mother, and even odder, one that was not smiling at her. After a few more seconds of this, Bra came to an abrupt decision.

She howled. Not cried, as she had done several times already, but howled, as if crying was simply not adequate enough to express how displeased she was at the moment.

Eschalot grimaced, but made no move to return the baby. She seemed resigned to her fate.

Vegeta looked ten times as irritated by Bra's shrieking, and just as powerless.

Mrs. Briefs merely watched, hoping things might improve on their own.

They didn't.

Bra howled for the entire five minutes that Eschalot held her, and Eschalot made no effort to fix the situation.

Finally, Mrs. Briefs stepped forward and lifted Bra out of Eschalot's arms. The second Bra caught sight of her grandmother, the howling ceased, replaced by a few whimpers, and soon even that faded as Bra settled down and fell asleep. When she was sure that Bra was calm, Mrs. Briefs handed the baby to Vegeta. Then she turned to Eschalot, and got a nasty shock.

She had expected Eschalot to look embarrassed, or frustrated, or in some way visibly upset at what had just happened. But if Bra was truly Vegeta's daughter in that she did not hold back her opinion of people, then Eschalot was truly Vegeta's daughter in that she simply did not care what a baby thought of her. Or at least, not a baby that was supposedly herself. Because the expression currently on Eshcalot's face said just that: she didn't care about what had just happened. Because she didn't care about Bra, at all.

It wasn't right, and it couldn't stand. But Mrs. Briefs knew there was no way to make the teenager simply start caring about a baby. At the same time, she was not about to let anyone with Bulma's face walk around not caring about her family.

So Mrs. Briefs did the only thing she could. She walked up to Eschalot, looked her in the eye... and gave her another hug. But this time, she also reached up and gently stroked Eschalot's long braid. "It's okay, Escha-chan," she murmured into the girl's ear. "You and Bra-chan just need to get used to each other, that's all. But even if she can't accept you right now, I do. I'm glad you're here. You're always welcome to come and have some tea with your baa-chan, never forget that."

Eschalot said nothing, nor did the stiffness in her body fade even the slightest bit. But when Mrs. Briefs finally let her go, Eschalot no longer looked as if she didn't care. She looked like she didn't understand. But even that was an improvement.

"We... have some things to discuss in private," Vegeta said after an awkward moment. He carefully placed Bra in her bassinet, adjusting the blanket several times until he was sure that she was comfortable.

Eschalot look relieved that they were leaving. She turned to Mrs. Briefs, hesitated, and bowed again. "I apologize... baa-chan, but I must leave-"

Mrs. Briefs leaned in and tenderly placed a kiss on Eschalot's cheek. "Come back any time, dear."

Eschalot stared at her, unable to form a response. She now looked less confused and more frightened than anything else. Finally, she turned and all but fled from the nursery, with Vegeta following her.

* * *

Although Vegeta needed no further convincing, it was the way that Eschalot and Bra reacted to each other that made him certain they were both his daughters, albeit from very different worlds.

If asked, Vegeta could not say what it was about Eschalot that disturbed Bra, only that there had to be good reason for it. Bra hadn't been wrong yet. And even as a baby, Trunks had never reacted to the future version of himself so negatively for so long.

In true Saiya-jin style, Eschalot didn't care one bit how a baby felt about her, and was glad to be done with the experience. She was only too happy to move to another room and tell Vegeta about her mother.

The story was about what he'd expected: in that world, Bulma had still been trying to gather the Dragon Balls when the Saiya-jin arrived on Earth. She planned to alter Earth's atmosphere so that it was still safe for humans, but poisonous to Saiya-jin. She never actually found out if that was even possible: Vegeta caught her before she could summon the dragon. Instead of being enraged, he was impressed, and allowed her the honor of becoming his first wife. Bulma refused, but hadn't been shy about telling him where he could put his offer. So the next time that Vegeta offered, Bulma was bleeding and trying to pick herself up off of the ground, and wife was no longer on the table, but the options of concubine or a slow death were. Bulma was a lot more careful in how she answered that time.

Nothing about the story shocked Vegeta. In that world, because the Saiya-jin worked directly for Beerus, they were ranked specifically by their maximum power at any point, not their power at birth. So Kakarot had not been passed over as a weakling, and instead was recognized as he rapidly developed into Vegeta's most trusted soldier. The Earth invasion party consisted solely of the two of them, and each had found an Earthling maiden to take home. Apparently Chi-Chi had been much more of a martial artist in that world, but all that meant was that she'd been one of a handful of Earthlings that tried to fight Kakarot. Obviously she had lost, but in such a way that Kakarot was sure she could give him strong children. The discovery that she was also an excellent cook had only come later, when she saw the way that Saiya-jin prepared, or rather didn't prepare, their food.

Vegeta had noticed, however, the difference in the way Eschalot talked about Bulma and Chi-Chi, or Tarachi, as she was now called. Bulma's very name seemed to be a source of annoyance or embarrasment to Eschalot at times. But Eschalot sounded almost fond of Tarachi, and Vegeta was not too surprised by that. Between being a fighter and a good cook, what was not to like about Tarachi? It sounded very much like she was Kakarot's wife, not his concubine, so that was something else to consider. Bulma had spat on that possibility, more than likely directly in that Vegeta's face, if his hunch was right. She was lucky he hadn't killed her then and there. Even so, Vegeta could not imagine his own proud wife flourishing in such a situation. He tried to imagine what Bulma would look like: beaten, her spirit crushed, the ever-present spark of invention and adventure gone from her eyes.

He couldn't do it. That woman wouldn't be his Bulma. Rather, he would never be attracted to such a woman, not for more than one night, at least.

But of course, that other Vegeta couldn't know what he was missing. And Vegeta already suspected that he would never see Bra turn into someone like Eschalot. They were too different already, or their worlds and parents were. And maybe, for Bra's sake, that wasn't a bad thing.

* * *

Bulma had already known that her next encounter with Eschalot would not be a pleasant one, and she was exactly right. Eschalot did not look happy at the interruption, but she at least said nothing and only nodded to Bulma. Bulma felt she only did that much because of Vegeta's presence.

But any feelings Eschalot was concealing bubbled to the surface the second that Mame hurried into the room, paused to bow deeply to her, and then jabbered away at her.

In a language that was neither Namekian, nor native to Earth, Bulma realized with a sinking feeling. She only needed to glance at Dende for confirmation: he couldn't translate. She had vastly underestimated both Eschalot and Mame.

Eschalot briefly looked furious. Mame's presence there at all plainly spelled out that Bulma had gone behind her back and exposed her secrets. But she seemed to recall that Vegeta was in the room and attempted to get a handle on her emotions. This was especially true when she noticed West Kaioshin standing behind Bulma. There was enough recognition there that Eschalot definitely had experience dealing with gods.

Abruptly, Eschalot raised her hand, and Mame immediately fell silent. "Kaa-san," Eschalot said slowly, staring at Bulma. "Since you are so intent on learning about me, without my permission, would you allow me to store my time machine here for the duration of my visit?"

"Um... sure," Bulma replied. She was amazed that was all Eschalot had to say on the matter.

Eschalot nodded and motioned to Mame, who instantly stood at attention. "I have entrusted the safekeeping of my time machine to Mame. You need only indicate to him an appropriate location."

Bulma suddenly felt like a fool. Of course Mame wouldn't have just left the time machine unattended and gone off with a bunch of strangers. It had to be in capsule form, and he had it on his person somewhere.

It stung, the degree to which Bulma had underestimated Eschalot. But with it came a sort of grudging pride: Eschalot was a Briefs, after all.

* * *

Although Bulma never advertised the fact, Capsule Corp was absolutely covered in hidden security cameras. Of course, nobody outside of her family ever watched them, for security reasons.

So even though Bulma arrived home only a few minutes after Vegeta did, and Eschalot did not seem to have done any damage, Bulma watched the footage. She saw how Eschalot and Bra reacted to each other. And that worried her.

More importantly, Bulma saw how her mother and Eschalot reacted to each other. And it made her smile. There was still hope.

She also heard Eschalot tell Vegeta about the other Bulma. Bulma couldn't help but notice the differences between the ways that Eschalot's mother and Tarachi had become part of the Saiya-jin Empire. It sounded like in another world, even without the head injury during childhood that changed him, Goku was still a big softie at heart, and Vegeta... really wasn't. But it sounded like that was because his Bulma hadn't had the heart to keep standing up to him and change him for the better. And based on what Mame had implied, Bulma felt there had to be more than just a slap to it, unless they simply didn't make Briefs girls of sterner stuff in that world.

But there was something else Bulma saw, and it worried her. In one of the lesser used labs, whose access was so restricted that only Bulma could open the door from the outside, she watched Eschalot, Mame, and Cell conversing. In Namekian. Which Bulma was no closer to mastering than she had been all those years ago. It simply hadn't proven necessary after their return from Namek: Dende was the only Namek she talked to regularly, and he had made a point to master several of Earth's languages. And it didn't shock her that Cell could speak Namekian. Perhaps he had inherited that along with Piccolo's cells. Perhaps his body had deemed that knowledge worthy and absorbed it. Or perhaps Eschalot had had plently of time to teach Cell more than just transformations in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, specifically so they could converse in a little-known language that Bulma hadn't mastered.

There were just too many possibilities with Eschalot, and no way that Bulma could prepare for all of them at once. Really, it was hard enough just sneaking Cell into Capsule Corp and keeping him hidden. Trunks and Goten were often underfoot, bumbling into areas it shouldn't have been likely for them to get into. Chi-Chi seemed to find a new room every other hour in her eternal search for yet another pantry, and Bulma couldn't blame her, with all the Saiya-jin and bottomless gods she was constantly feeding. Not to mention, Bulma had a very hard time explaining to Vegeta and her mother why Eschalot required a bedroom that neither of them were allowed to know the location of or visit her in. But she had convinced them to leave it alone, somehow, although on the condition that Eschalot came out to spend time with each of them. Bulma really had very little control over that, but based on what she'd seen, did not think Eschalot would turn either of them down if confronted directly.

* * *

Goku gave Android 17 a parting wave, which was somewhat returned in the form of a clipped nod, and then launched himself into the sky. "That's one more person for the team," Goku murmured. "Now I just need to talk to Master Roshi and Tien, and we'll have a full set of ten!" He grinned at the thought seeing his old friends again. "I bet they'll be surprised to see me!"

* * *

 **Continued in Eschalot's Dragon: Part 2**

The Universe 7 team gathers at Capsule Corp, only to discover that Bulma has some last-minute roster changes. They aren't popular, but no one can claim that they aren't fit to compete.

* * *

 **Endnotes:**

In keeping with Saiya-jin names having a vegetable theme: Sansai are wild-picked vegetables, Mame are beans. Tarachi is a twist on tara no me, the angelica tree.

Can You Die When Dead: There are two different ideas presented in the series on this. One is that if you're already dead, and you die again in Hell, you instantly reform and keep doing so no matter how many times you die. GT supports this. The other is that if you die anywhere else while dead (though that is difficult to manage), you're gone forever. DBZ supports this. We only see the two Kaioshin that Majin Buu killed (not absorbed) in flashbacks. So the theory I'm using is that he killed them, they returned with halos, and he killed them again, thus destroying them forever. And thanks to Old Kaioshin, we know it is possible for a Kaioshin to die and return with a halo, at least when they take their own life. So it would also make sense that Zamasu and Goku Black double-killed all the gods they slayed, since only killing them once would just give them a halo and leave them free to fight back or warn others. Which apparently did not happen.

How Strong Cell Can Get: There are two things I take into account when figuring this.

1) Cell's body learns new combat techniques just by him either witnessing or being in close proximity to them. So fighting him with anything he doesn't know is really no different from teaching it to him, or more precisely, carving it into his body. And it isn't even something he does consciously, his cells do this automatically.

2) Frieza surpassed Super Saiya-jin Blue in power with his first, and only, attempt at training, in just four months. Judging by their origins and relationship, Cell should always outclass Frieza in power by a considerable amount. So Cell should be able to quickly restore the status quo of himself being the stronger one with the same or less effort. And I do see a parallel between Frieza's golden form and Ascended Saiya-jin form: all the power wasted on reaching a higher state, when a lesser state would prove more effective when truly mastered. Though in Frieza's case, it was that he hadn't mastered the higher state. I think Cell is smart enough not to make the same mistake. Especially since he has made it before and presumably learned from it.

I did not just make Eschalot all-powerful. Rather, I gave her a set of optimal circumstances to grow in. Consider: a timeline where, instead of Beerus getting annoyed with the Saiya-jin, he instead got annoyed at Frieza for some offense and killed him. In the interest of self-preservation, the Saiya-jin swear to serve Beerus directly. I know, Beerus said he didn't like the Saiya-jin, but I also think he didn't stop to consider that if he had a bunch of henchmen willing and able to blow things up on his behalf, that would allow him much more time to sleep and pig out. And maybe Whis pointed that out in this version. Now, as I stated, Saiya-jin are judged by their maximum power. As such, Vegeta would want his children to be as strong as possible. Which means between Vegeta's genes, Cell's training, and Whis working more closely with the Saiya-jin, those kids are going to be some of the strongest in the empire. The end result being that Eschalot has indeed obtained Blue, and nearly all forms previous. And it shouldn't take much thought to realize what form she's missing. But more on that next chapter.


	5. God of Speed

Notes: When Dyspo first appeared, there was speculation that he might be connected to Beerus. It was disappointing that this wasn't explored. Surely the artists can't have been so distracted as to design Dyspo so much like Beerus for no reason, and none of them noticed. I'm of the opinion that Dyspo's origin was a scrapped idea that was never implemented. So this is one way it might have worked. Of all the ways they ate up time to extend that last arc, I would have preferred any sort of Dyspo backstory to a near-full episode of Ribrianne any day. Even more than that, I would have preferred backstory on how Universe 2's theme translated into it being populated seemingly primarily by women, okama, and men very much in touch with their femininity. Where would the babies come from?

Summary: Three gods, one witch, and a mixed blessing.

* * *

 **Bulma's Suggestion Box**  
 **A Dragon Ball Super Fanfic by**  
 **Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**  
 **Interlude: USA3: God of Speed**

* * *

She was called many things.

Elder. Oracle. Witch.

All that truly mattered was that she was known only to the gods, and they guarded the secret of her existence out of both necessity and greed. She used her power only in service to them, and they ensured that she was left alone until her power was needed.

The three young brothers stood before her, as so many other gods had. She could read the eagerness in their eyes, the wild abandon in their souls. She began as she always did.

"I will grant you each one wish. Every wish comes with a curse. Think carefully, before you speak. What is done here, cannot be undone."

She turned to the first brother and gestured for him to speak.

"I wish to be the strongest of the three of us," he said.

"And so you shall be, Beerus," she answered. "The strength of your brothers will always pale in comparison to your own. But such power is not without its flaws, and must be used sparingly. Thus, I curse you with sleep. You will be unable to resist it, and it will be the one thing that always conquers you. Let that be the restraint upon your power. Now, go."

Scowling, Beerus turned and left.

"Speak your wish," she said to the second brother.

"I wish to have the greatest endurance of the three of us."

She smiled. "You seek a counter to the strength of Beerus. This is wise, Champa." Her smile faded. "But you seek to prolong the squabbles of old with your brothers. This is foolish. You are young gods, and you should not be so petty. But I grant your wish. You will be able to outlast even Beerus. And yet, I curse you with sloth. Your power will be limited by your imagination, which is already sub-par. Now, go."

Grumbling, Champa turned and left.

"And you," she said to the last brother. "Speak your wish."

He thought long and hard on all he had heard. Finally, he said, "I wish to be the fastest of the three of us."

"You seek to blaze a trail that your brothers cannot walk. A path they can only glimpse as you pass them by. But, I am afraid that you will have the greatest misfortune of the three, deserving though you are."

He flinched. "What is my curse, then?"

She shook her head. "You have the speed you wished for. You will always be the fastest of the three. Now, go."

He hesitated. "Please, elder. I have always been the weakest, never equal to either of my brothers in anything. I knew I would be the last to have a chance to speak, and that they would take the greatest gifts first. Tell me, was that my curse?"

She smiled sadly. "I wish I could say that it had been, young one. Were it in my power, I would make it so. But you already have your wish."

"And do I already have my curse?" he guessed.

But she would say no more.

* * *

The wishes, and curses, came true immediately.

Beerus possessed strength beyond either of his brothers. He was also prone to naps that lasted a full year, during which his body lost much of its weight. The slimness certainly helped in utilizing his power, but his appetite was greater than ever, which in turn increased the length of his sleeping spells.

Champa possessed endurance beyond either of his brothers. He could never defeat Beerus, not unless the contest was a test of endurance, which Beerus was wise enough to avoid, but Champa was not imaginative enough to demand.

The last brother possessed speed beyond either of his brothers. Not surprisingly, they refused to acknowledge this, and him. But they never had acknowledged him before, so this was nothing new. Still, he trained hard with his new gift, determined not to waste it, determined to make his brothers see that he would not be ignored. But the faster he became, the less they seemed to notice him. And still he became faster, convinced that they would one day have no choice but to recognize his skill.

So he ran.

He ran, streaking past every obstacle, and leaving behind anything that would weigh him down or interfere with his speed. All that mattered was that he would be the fastest.

* * *

"You. What is your name?"

He turned around, unable to resist the volume in that booming voice, and faced one of the largest men he'd ever seen. "I have no name."

The large man frowned, his amazingly large fists clenching. "And? Where is your Justice?" he demanded. "I hear you will take on any mission for any price. That is no way to live!"

He frowned, offended. "It's how I live!"

"Not anymore." The large man extended his hand. "Come with me, friend. Together, we will find your Justice!"

"Look, I-"

"COME!" The large man glared into his eyes. "They say you claim to be faster than the gods. But no man outruns Justice!"

"...whatever, man."

"You would deny Justice? Then fight me! We will see where your speed gets you!"

"Hey, wait. You're one of those Pride Troopers, right? I haven't done anything wrong. I do a job, I get paid. I don't like the job, I turn it down. So unless you've got proof that I did something illegal, leave me alone!"

This only seemed to make the large man more determined to fight. "Then here is your next job: try to escape my Justice Flash!"

* * *

"No memories at all?" Belmond asked.

"Nothing significant," Toppo confirmed. "All he has is his speed, and a burning desire. But even he cannot say what for. We can use someone like him in the Pride Troopers. And better he is with us, than hired to work against us. I will see to his training myself."

"Well, if you feel so strongly about it, Toppo, I'll allow it. From what I've seen, he is quite fast. But people that powerful don't just appear. I wonder where he came from?"

"I thank you for your patience, Belmond-sama," Toppo said, bowing.

Belmond waved him away. "See how far you can get him in, oh, three months. I have a meeting then, and I could use a capable man. Who knows, seeing more of the multiverse might jog his memory."

* * *

Beerus came to a stop, his eyes narrowing as Belmond stood up to leave, followed closely by his new attendant. "Wait."

Belmond glanced back at him. "Something on your mind, Beerus?"

Beerus stared at the attendant, who met his gaze uncertainly. "Who is this, Belmond?"

"Ah, him," Belmond replied, seemingly amused. "That's our newest Pride Trooper, Dyspo. The resemblance is truly uncanny, isn't it? Sure you don't have another brother?"

Beerus blinked, as if actually considering that. "...no. Many is the day I dreamed of trading Champa in for a replacement, but no. Only one brother, unfortunately."

For his part, Dyspo did not seem to know Beerus, either. And yet, for some reason, he was reluctant to leave the god's sight, as if there was some unfinished business between them.

* * *

Toppo slowly lowered his hands, unable to hide his shock. "Dyspo, that aura of darkness..."

"You like it, Toppo?" Dyspo laughed. "I call it my Super Maximum Light Speed Mode!"

"Yes, it's... very impressive." Toppo could not find the words to say what he actually thought, however. When he first saw that dark aura appear around Dyspo, for a moment, he'd been convinced.

He'd been in the presence of a Hakaishin.

One capable of cloaking himself in the Energy of Destruction, no different from Toppo's own defensive aura. But, of course, it wasn't the same. Dyspo's aura didn't seem to destroy anything. Although, Toppo could imagine, at high enough speeds, nearly anything could be destroyed: flesh, bone... perhaps even memories.

Maybe Dyspo had once been far more like Beerus. But in pursuit of ultimate speed, where everything unnecessary was cast aside... those chains of memory that would have weighed Dyspo down, and indeed, kept him from becoming Dyspo at all... how could those be needed by one such as him?

Toppo kept his thoughts to himself, however. He had an idea that part of the reason Dyspo was so fast was that he was trying to outrun something in his past. And in any case, Dyspo was now devoted to the Pride Troopers, and to Toppo, who had given him a new purpose. If ever there was a need to face his past, Dyspo would do so with all the speed and support he could ever need.

It was strange, though. If asked, Toppo would have said that Dyspo's dark aura was not so much the result of training, as it was a manifestation of instinct and willpower. As if his body had just... known how to become even faster.

* * *

 _"I curse you to forget, and to be forgotten. You will outrun your poor treatment at the hands of your brothers, because you will outrun their memories of you, and yours of them. Let all that would decrease your speed be consumed in your wake. Your form will be altered, until it is fit only for greater and greater speed. You will indeed be the fastest of your brothers, but none of you will ever know it. Race forward forevermore, god of speed."_

 **End Interlude**

* * *

 **Endnotes:**

This was just a little sample until the next chapter of Eschalot's Dragon is done, and it almost is!

I find it very hard to believe that there is no connection between Dyspo and Beerus. They look so much alike that Champa comments on it. This is remarkably different from Pikkon resembling Piccolo, as Pikkon was clearly not Namekian, but until we saw all of Dyspo, he could have passed for Beerus in a Pride Trooper uniform. But apparently Dyspo is a rabbit, not a cat. Funny how he's the only rabbit to resemble Beerus to that degree. Surely the character designer was aware.

One of the aspects of the Tournament of Power that I really enjoyed was the people from other universes that also rivaled or surpassed their Hakaishin in power. But the idea that two such people hailed from Universe 11 was very interesting. Especially since Dyspo was supposed to be the third strongest, and all he really seemed to have was his speed. But the idea that Dyspo could move so fast that an angel had trouble tracking him really stands out. So yes, he only had speed, but he was among the very fastest, and almost certainly faster than some Hakaishin, if them being trained by angels is the norm. And if there is such a person, it fits that he'd find his way onto a team with two other god-surpassers. Which makes them a trinity (which I may do a chapter on later).

Dyspo being an uncrowned god makes Gohan look better. Piccolo stated that Gohan wouldn't have been able to beat Dyspo without Frieza's help. That would be the second time in the tournament that Gohan struggled with a faster opponent, so apparently that's his weakness. Nice job teaching Gohan to fight people who use Instant Transmission, Goku. Oh, wait. If only Gohan had access to anyone else who knew Instant Transmission and lived nearby... like Buu. Huh. In that case, it's pretty much Gohan's own fault he doesn't know how to handle people who use Instant Transmission. How hard is it to bribe Buu with sweets? Mr. Satan figured it out. Too bad Gohan doesn't hail from Universe 6, where Saiya-jin seem to pick up things as fast as Cell does. Probably going to address that in a chapter, too.


	6. Eschalot's Dragon, Part 2

Notes: Soooo, I think this will end up being a three part story. With one or two unrelated chapters following that to wrap up everything else I would change about the tournament arc. My hope is to be done with this before the Broly movie, for... reasons.

* * *

 **Bulma's Suggestion Box**  
 **A Dragon Ball Super Fanfic by**  
 **Nate Grey (xman0123-at-aol-dot-com)**  
 **USA2-2: Eschalot's Dragon, Part 2**

* * *

Bulma came across a rather interesting sight the next morning: Eschalot, watching silently from a balcony as, on the lawn below, Trunks and Goten pummeled each other at high speed. Trunks was occasionally inserting taunts, but Goten remained silent, grim-faced, and determined.

"He's nothing like Sansai," Eschalot said at last, startling Bulma. She hadn't realized that Eschalot knew she was there, which was silly, when she stopped to think about it. One of them was a battle-hardened half-alien who likely constantly expected people to sneak up on her. The other was Bulma.

When there was no protest to Bulma's presence, she hesitantly joined Eschalot on the balcony. Eschalot kept her gaze trained on the boys.

Then Bulma thought about what Eschalot had actually said. "What is he like? Your brother?"

"He's an idiot," Eschalot replied at once. "Proud. Strong. Dangerous because he never stops to think long enough. But-" She stopped, as if unsure if she should continue. "But if he ever caught anyone other than him bullying me..." She stopped again, and shook her head. "Well, it never happened again, after that first time. I was humiliated. Any Saiya-jin would have been. I never asked for his help. And he actually expected me to thank him for stomping on my pride." Eschalot clenched her fist at the memory, then sighed. "I shouldn't have been so furious at him. It was how he showed his love. And he so rarely does that at all. Perhaps because of how I reacted that time."

Bulma found this description strange, because to her, Sansai sounded almost exactly like her little Trunks. She was not too proud to admit that Future Trunks had turned out as good as he had because he'd lived a life deprived of so many things. But her Trunks wanted for nothing, and it showed. No matter how much the two may have resembled each other physically, there was no mistaking the large difference in their individual attitudes.

So why, then, could Eschalot not see the similarities between Sansai and Trunks? And was it good or bad that she couldn't? Without meeting Sansai, Bulma could not be certain.

"Have you tried talking to Trunks?" Bulma asked, though she already knew the answer.

Eschalot shook her head. "There is no point."

"Sometimes," Bulma murmured, "the most rewarding things are the ones that make no sense, if you stop to think about them."

Eschalot snorted. "Such as?"

"I never would have married Vegeta, if I hadn't been able to move past my first impression of him."

That sobered Eschalot up quickly, but she chose not to respond.

"I'm sorry I went behind your back yesterday," Bulma continued. "But I wanted to protect my family and friends. I hope you can respect that."

Eschalot nodded slowly.

"I don't want to see you as a threat to us, Eschalot. But it's obvious that you're very different from my children, and I can't treat you the same as I do them. Nor do I think you want me to. So if I say or do something that you find offensive, all I'm asking for is a little patience." Bulma paused, wondering if this next part would be too much, then deciding it had to be said. "More than you would give your own mother."

"I can do that," Eschalot said softly.

Bulma couldn't hide her surprise. "Really?"

"I was six years old when I first realized that my mother had no power over me. She was trying to teach me that it was wrong to steal. When my father found out, he told me the exact opposite: that anything I was strong enough to take and defend was mine by right. He didn't even have to contradict her to her face. As king, his words were law... and I had never seen anyone obey my mother, not even my older brother. So I didn't have to, either." Eschalot finally turned to look at Bulma. "But you are proud and brave. Two things I have never seen my mother be. Two things I know she must have been, once, to earn my father's eye. And I do not wish to be the reason you lose those things, the way my father was for my mother."

"Maybe we should try to start over," Bulma suggested.

"No," Eschalot said firmly. "You frustrate me, but in entirely different ways than my mother does. Ways that, upon reflection, I admire. I would not have you change yourself for my sake." After a pause, she added, "It's not as if I will be here for very long."

"Oh. Right." Bulma was not really surprised, but still, hearing Eschalot admit that she was leaving soon... it bothered Bulma, somehow. This was still technically her daughter, after all. An idea which suddenly gave her another idea. "I have... some pictures of Trunks. The one who came from the future. If you want, we could...?"

Eschalot stared at her for a long moment.

Bulma began to think that this was another idea Eschalot would reject. She just didn't seem big on family, or at least, she wasn't big on Bulma's family, and-

"Very well."

Bulma blinked, unable to hide her shock. "You... really want to see him?"

Eschalot shrugged. "He can't possibly be as bad as Sansai."

Which, oddly enough, turned out to be true. After seeing the pictures, Eschalot stated that her brother was taller, and more bulky, than Future Trunks. But Bulma took "bulky" to mean that Sansai was covered in muscles, rather than fat. Indeed, Eschalot's description had her believing that Sansai might have been one of the largest Saiya-jin in that world. So it was not really surprising that Eschalot seemed to prefer Future Trunks over her own brother and Trunks. Maybe a little too much. When Bulma offered to make copies of any picture that Eschalot wanted to take home with her, Eschalot actually blushed and quickly refused. Bulma wasn't shocked, she had thought Future Trunks was pretty cute when she'd first met him, and by the time she learned the truth, she'd already given birth to her son Trunks, so she was able to adjust quickly. Although she'd still had some fun, teasing Future Trunks about how cute he thought his younger mother was (he had blushed just like Eschalot).

Bulma was amazed at how well they were getting along when her mother cornered them with a tray of tea and sweets. It was as if most of the previous day had never happened. Well, not the bad parts, at least. Eschalot actually proved willing to tell them more about her world. Though, being mindful of Bulma's mother and how she might react to certain things, most of the stories were about the trouble that Eschalot, Sansai, and Kakarot's daughters got into as kids. Bulma noticed that many stories featured Satsumi, Kakarot's oldest daughter, who she was tempted to call Eschalot's best friend. Nothing else quite explained the combination of the annoyance that flickered behind Eschalot's eyes each time the name came up, along with the fact that she had mysteriously failed to end the relationship for nearly two decades. And in any case, there had been far more dislike in Eschalot's tone when she spoke of Sansai, so there was that, too.

Somehow, it was just easy to attribute the few things Bulma might have liked about the Saiya-jin Empire to people of Kakarot's blood.

* * *

Vegeta collapsed heavily on his back, staring up at the calm, cloudy sky that composed the "ceiling" of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. He had been training non-stop for hours, though he knew only a matter of minutes had passed outside of the room.

It was lucky that Popo apparently had time to replenish the room's supplies and clean up: there had been no trace of Eschalot and her comrades left behind. Vegeta wondered about these mysterious people that Eschalot had never described, but then, he had been far more focused on her and the world she came from.

Although, now that he thought about it, the very fact that they were using the Hyperbolic Time Chamber here implied that they couldn't use it in their own world. Even stranger, Eschalot hadn't seemed like she needed or wanted to use it. Strength was a concern for her, of course, but not once had she displayed an urgent need to get stronger in a hurry. It was possible she had already reached a desired level of power, and that had been why she'd left the room before her comrades, but Vegeta doubted it.

Then, too, there had been a very strange conversation when they parted ways the previous night. Vegeta had told her of his plans to train in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, and then, before he could stop himself, invited her to join him. In truth, he knew he had only seen a little of what she could do, and he was curious, even eager to see more.

To his shock, Eschalot declined the offer. And the reason had left him equal parts confident and disappointed.

"You already have everything you need to obtain victory in the Tournament of Power, my king."

On the one hand, it felt good, his daughter's complete faith in his abilities. But on the other hand, a child who passed up the chance to reach greater heights alongside her father, and possibly to one day overshadow him... it was so strange to him. Even Gohan, who had lost so much of his edge, had always looked to his own father as a measuring stick.

But Eschalot wasn't weak, nor had she lost her edge. So why would she turn down this chance? It just didn't make sense to Vegeta. Despite all that she had told him of her world, so much didn't make sense to him, still.

Eschalot had told Bulma that their records on the time around Bra's birth were incomplete, which Vegeta didn't believe for a second. Even in the final month of her pregnancy, Bulma had continued working, albeit at a reduced and carefully adjusted schedule. Her records certainly weren't incomplete. But that was his Bulma, not Eschalot's mother. That woman was a stranger to him, and apparently nothing like his Bulma, not anymore. Perhaps her genius had not been appreciated, and she no longer bothered to display it. If so, then perhaps it had not been her who had designed Eschalot's time machine, as he had previously assumed. He knew that the technology of Frieza's Planet Trade Federation had been superior to Earth's, judging by the way that Krillin and Gohan had reacted to being inside one of their spaceships for the first time. His Bulma would have been fascinated and eager to learn and adapt, but Eschalot's mother? He could not say for sure.

Another oddity was the lack of Whis's mark on Eschalot's armor. It did not necessarily mean that she had never been trained by Whis. If anything, she had been overly trained by Cell. But Vegeta knew of no training superior to Whis's, so if she only wore the mark of one teacher, Whis was the most likely one. Yet there was also no mark that would seem to pay homage to any teacher at all. Again, not impossible, but as Vegeta had come to realize what a rare honor it was to train under an angel, he had been proud to wear that mark. So why didn't Eschalot feel the same? Why did she seem more loyal to Cell than Whis? It was impossible to say without knowing the exact relationship between the three of them. And Eschalot hadn't offered many details on it, other than saying she began her venture with Whis's permission.

There was much Vegeta still did not understand about Eschalot, and he regretted that he likely would never learn it all. His focus had to be on training for the Tournament of Power, and he was starting to suspect that Eschalot would leave the moment the Universe 7 team returned victorious, if not sooner. He might never see her again, he knew.

And maybe that was as it should be. Instead of focusing on Eschalot, who would return to her own time eventually, the daughter who wasn't going anywhere should be the one that held his attention. Maybe that would be an unintended consequence of Eschalot's trip. And if it was, more the better for Bra. He couldn't know if she had the same potential as Eschalot, wouldn't know until they began to explore it together.

Vegeta decided then and there, and in fact promised himself: he would not be a parent that Bra was ashamed of or resented. His daughter would not prefer someone else's father to him. That much, his other self seemed to have gotten right, though at the cost of Eschalot's relationship with Bulma. But it wouldn't be that way this time. He wouldn't allow it.

He couldn't have guessed, had no way of knowing, that his promise had already sealed Bra's fate. She could not be anything like Eschalot, not with two parents determined to see her happy. Not with a mother who was unafraid to correct her. Not with a father who would gradually find himself more and more devoted to her smiles, and come to prioritize her happiness over her strength.

None of them could know that in coming to this world, Eschalot had only further ensured that Bra could never become her.

* * *

The first meeting of the entire Team Universe 7 at Capsule Corp got off to a bad start: Beerus immediately overturned Goku's decision to make Gohan the team captain.

"You got us into this mess, Goku, so you are going to take responsibility! You're team captain! If we lose, it's on your thick head!"

Beerus looked furious enough where nobody dared to question him. Goku did at least plead that Gohan be co-captain with him, but Beerus shot that down, as well. Still, using his power as team captain, Goku insisted on appointing Gohan the Team Strategist. Beerus just grunted and looked away. Gohan did not dare argue. He didn't want his family being erased before he even got to the Tournament of Power. And part of him did agree that his father was partially responsible for all of this trouble.

Even so, between Goku and Gohan, they had managed to put together a decent team.

Majin Buu had so much fun at the Zen Exhibition Match that he was eager to repeat the experience. There was some concern on what would happen if he ate his opponents. Whis felt certain that as long as they were still alive inside him when the tournament ended, Buu would not be disqualified. On the other hand, if anyone Buu ate was still considered actively in the tournament, he would need to be reminded to spit them over the side of the platform before time ran out. Otherwise, there was a risk that Buu might accidentally win the tournament for another team, by storing them inside of him. It was something Whis would have to double-check before the tournament began. As always, Buu was accompanied by Mr. Satan, who kept up a constant stream of encouragement, as if Buu actually could be nervous about fighting. Mr. Satan had also brought a huge backpack, which was full of sweets to keep Buu occupied.

Vegeta had agreed to join the team, once Bra was born safely and settled in.

Piccolo hadn't really needed any convincing. The very fact that he got to oversee Gohan's training again seemed to be the only push he needed to agree.

Android 17's motivations in joining were somewhat self-serving, but he wasn't the only one. Already he was planning a family vacation when the tournament was over. Plans that he, surprisingly, offered to include his sister, brother-in-law, and niece in. Android 18 had accepted with a soft smile, but Krillin was nearly moved to tears and was still struggling with himself not to hug Android 17, as he knew it wouldn't be welcomed. They did not need additional motivation, but now the married couple had another reason to ensure they were successful in the tournament: Android 17 had never even hinted at wanting their families to spend time together, and they didn't want to miss this chance for little Marron to bond with her uncle, aunt, and cousins.

As usual, Tien was fairly reserved. There had been some question as to his involvement, at first: he preferred living in remote locations, and it was sometimes difficult to contact him without Goku's Instant Transmission. But Goku had managed to convince him, and Master Roshi, to participate. Roshi had chosen to do some last-minute, secret training, but it must have paid off, because he looked quite confident, or at least relaxed and not at all worried.

Gohan was fighting for the sake of his family, of course. Not just to protect his wife and child, but as a way of re-connecting with his father. He knew that Goku loved him, but it was also true that those who weren't constantly fighting tended to drift off of Goku's radar fairly easily. If not for Gohan's daughter Pan already shaping up to be a real spitfire despite still being in diapers, Gohan honestly wasn't sure how much he would have seen his father lately before this tournament business started. And he was determined to remind his father, not only that he existed, but that just because he didn't use his power every day, didn't mean that it had faded away.

Goku was aware that more than a few people were blaming him for the Tournament of Power. It didn't bother him too much, however. He was confident that his team would win, and then all that blame would fade, he hoped. Naturally, he wanted to protect his universe, but underneath that, he was exploding with excitement at the idea of fighting the strongest opponents he had ever faced. Also, he was hoping that Zeno would be so impressed that he ultimately reversed the decision to eliminate the losing universes. Goku could already tell: if the Pride Troopers were filled with tough fighters like Toppo and Jiren, there was no way he would be satisfied with only fighting them the one time. He couldn't let them get erased simply because they'd lost to him. It wouldn't be fair, and more importantly, it would be no fun at all.

Beerus, still grumpy, had returned to stress-eating, stuffing his face with a selection of sliced fruits. Whis stood nearby, apparently just relieved that Beerus was pigging out on something healthy. Next to him, the East Kaioshin was too nervous to do more than glance worriedly between the team members. But Elder Kaioshin seemed to have no trouble eating as much as Beerus, though he was much calmer about it. Having been effectively retired for some time, though he didn't want the universe to be erased, he also wouldn't have been overly upset if it was. This attitude had not gone over well with others, but he at least wasn't as blatant about his lack of concern as Whis was. And like Whis, he was not opposed to helping. Although, the chief way he could help would have taken far too long at this point: anyone who wanted their power raised by him now would have likely missed the tournament entirely.

For the most part, despite a questionable start, the mood in the conference room was somewhat concerned, but mostly positive.

And that was when the door slid open, and Bulma stepped in with the aura of a thundercloud.

Goku paled at once. They had gotten permission to use to conference room from her, but hadn't told her the reason for it. In truth, Bulma rarely asked why they needed anything from her, unless the item in question was so expensive or thought-provoking that she felt she deserved more details. And frankly, even if Bulma hadn't already been on high alert, Goku of all people asking to use a conference room was just downright suspicious.

" _So_ ," Bulma said softly, but in a clearly dangerous tone. "How's the meeting going?"

"Uh, just fine, Bulma!" Goku replied, smiling uneasily. "But we're kinda in the middle of something-"

"-like preparing for the Tournament of Power?" Bulma suggested mildly.

"Exactly! So if you could just-"

There were several groans around the room. Piccolo actually facepalmed.

Gohan sighed. "Tou-san, you weren't supposed to-"

"Supposed to WHAT, Gohan?!" Bulma demanded. "Tell me that we're all goners if you guys lose?! You're lucky I don't get on the phone with Videl right now!"

Gohan's eyes widened. "No, don't do that! I don't want to worry her! Please, Bulma!"

"Of course, I wouldn't do that," Bulma sighed, shaking her head. "But if I knew it was a definite possibility, I also wouldn't hide it from the people who might be in a position to prevent it!"

Goku blinked. "Wait, who are you talking about? Everyone who can prevent it is already here!"

"They're here in the building, thanks to me," Bulma corrected. "Not in the room. Not yet." She slapped a panel next to the door, causing it to slide open.

West Kaioshin and Pikkon calmly entered the room. Both made a point to avoid eye contact with East Kaioshin, who briefly looked shocked before he hurried to greet them. The greeting was not returned.

"I heard that all Kaioshin were supposed to be informed of the tournament," Bulma said. "Clearly, that didn't happen. If it had, West Kaioshin would have immediately informed anyone who needed to know that her attendant Pikkon was more than happy to join the team. Now, if everyone here actually believes that every person on the current team is more qualified than him, he can leave."

Master Roshi cleared his throat. "Would this be the same Pikkon that Goku fought in the afterlife?"

Pikkon nodded. "I am."

"He is also one of the last students that I trained," Whis offered, which brought all conversation in the room to a swift end.

A huge grin stretched across Goku's face. "You've been training with Whis? Wow! You must have gotten a whole lot stronger since we last fought, Pikkon!"

"I have improved," Pikkon said modestly.

"I don't need to hear anymore," Roshi said. "This old man was planning to have one last blaze of glory, but with the universe on the line, I'd rather not risk it when there's someone far more capable. Pikkon, I'd be honored to give you my spot on the team. I expect you to keep Goku on his toes, though. Much as he's grown, I still see plenty of that kid who came to me for training so long ago."

Pikkon looked impressed and bowed respectfully. "It is an honor to stand in for the man who trained Goku. I won't let you down."

"Good to have you aboard, Pikkon!" Goku said brightly, but flinched when Bulma glared at him. "Thanks for helping us out..."

Pikkon shook his head. "All thanks should go to Bulma-sama. When she first learned of the Tournament of Power, she thought of me." He paused and gave Goku a cold look. "Immediately."

"O-Oh. Well, uh..." Goku rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I mean, it has been a while, so I guess you weren't the first person that came to my mind..."

"I don't believe I came to your mind at all," Pikkon pointed out. "Bulma-sama was very clear. She was not contacting us on your behalf. Quite the opposite."

"W-Well, the important thing is that you're here now!" Goku said, grinning.

Pikkon did not grin back. "Indeed. But only because of Bulma-sama. You should be thankful that someone so thoughtful was also concerned for our universe's survival." He crossed the room and stood before Piccolo. The two shook hands, and then Pikkon moved to stand beside Piccolo, his gaze trained on the door.

"So. Still think I shouldn't have been involved in the recruiting?" Bulma demanded, poking Goku hard in the chest.

Goku held up his hands in apparent surrender. "Okay, okay! I was wrong to hide all of this from you, and I'm sorry, Bulma. But I didn't want to worry you. This is pretty major stuff."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "Goku, we have faced world-ending threats together before, and I haven't gone completely to pieces." When he stared at her, she growled, "Okay, I _might_ have gone a little to pieces here and there, but I always bounce back! You needed my help on this, and it hurts that you didn't even try to consult me!"

"But you were busy having a baby. And this isn't just world-ending stuff. It's universe-ending stuff."

"All the more reason you would need my help! You shouldn't have hidden this from me, Goku! I thought I was your friend!" She paused and shook her head. "I thought I was your first friend, if not your best friend..."

Goku immediately wrapped his arms around Bulma, patting the back of her head gently. "You are my first friend, Bulma. I'm sorry if I made you feel like you weren't."

The hug had gone on for exactly five seconds when Vegeta snapped, "Go paw up your own woman, Kakarot!"

Laughing, Goku released Bulma. "Well, since I'm team captain, you're officially part of the team now, Bulma. You can be, uh... Assistant Recruiter!"

Bulma grinned. "In that case, I have one more roster change!"

Goku frowned slightly. "Oh. You do?"

"Yeah, I do. And no offense to Tien or Krillin, but I have to ask one of them to step down."

Tien's eyebrows narrowed in displeasure.

Krillin laughed. "Listen, Bulma. We've been friends for a long time, so I'm not going to take that personally. I'll admit that I'm not even close to being the strongest person on the team. But it's not all about strength. We need some serious teamwork, and I-"

Bulma smacked the panel by the door again. The door slid open, and Krillin's mouth stopped working as his potential replacement walked in.

"Hello, everyone!" Imperfect Cell almost purred as he walked in, his long tail waving behind him. "So good to see you all again!"

Several people flew into motion at once, but Cell was prepared for it all: his tail abruptly extended to ridiculous lengths, wrapping at high speed...

...around Bulma.

Everyone froze.

"Now," Cell said calmly. "Why don't we try that greeting again?"

"Cell," Vegeta growled, "if _one hair_ on her head is out of place-"

"If it was, it would be the damaging wind from your thoughtless and pointless attacks," Cell interrupted.

"You're the one holding her hostage!" Vegeta protested.

"No, he isn't!" Bulma snapped. "He's protecting me! Or didn't any of you idiots stop to think of what might have happened to me if you'd attacked him when I was standing right next to him?!"

There was a lengthy silence, in which several guilty people were unable to meet her eyes, all of them at least partially Saiya-jin.

"Bulma," Gohan said at last, "it almost sounds like you trust Cell."

Bulma nodded as Cell's tail slowly unwrapped from her, returning to it's original length. "I trust the Cell that circumstances have given us. For the moment. I wouldn't have recruited him otherwise."

"YOU did this?!" Vegeta demanded.

"Why?!" Gohan shouted.

Bulma could see the hurt, the betrayal in their eyes, and she had prepared herself for it. "I would hope my reasons would be obvious, and shared, by you two." When they continued to stare at her, clearly waiting for an answer, she shook her head. "Because I have a little girl, and I'd like for the universe not to end, so that I can see her grow up. If that means putting aside my hatred of Cell, I will do it." She met Vegeta's eyes. "For Bra-chan." Then she turned to Gohan. "And for Pan-chan." She looked at Krillin and Android 18. "And for Marron-chan. Our girls are more important than any of our hurt feelings. Or do you think I forgot that Cell killed Trunks once, and tried to do it again? I didn't do this lightly. I did it because I want us all to survive. Nothing is more important than that. Absolutely nothing."

Gohan still wasn't convinced. "Even assuming we could trust him to behave himself, I defeated Cell a long time ago. He's not exactly up to-"

"Excuse me," Cell interrupted. "Who defeated me? I am more than a little weary of this false rumor. The way I remember it, it was anything but a solo effort. I've had many chances in Hell to review our battle, Gohan. And it is very clear to me now. You defeated me, but only with the help of Goku and Vegeta. So get off your high horse. You didn't do it alone then, and you can't do it alone now. You are in no position to judge my power, and you never were."

"You're forgetting, Cell. That was your Perfect form." Gohan stepped up to Cell fearlessly.

"I forgot nothing," Cell replied, stepping up as well. "I will take you apart here and now, Gohan, if I must prove my superiority over you once more. And I won't even use my Perfect form at all."

Gohan faltered then. Because he realized that Cell hadn't lost his Perfect form, as he'd first mistakenly assumed. But before he could comment on this, a visible, white aura surrounded Cell's body as his power began to rise. Gohan was prepared for this, however, and a similar aura surrounded him as well.

And then Cell chuckled darkly, as his aura tightened around his body, and both abruptly turned crimson.

Gohan was so shocked that there was no way for him to react in time as Cell's tail crashed into the side of his head, knocking him completely through the wall, leaving a gaping hole that exposed them to the night air. Cell breathed it in and smiled. "If you'll all excuse me, I have a lesson to finish teaching." He leaped through the hole and vanished from view.

The others crowded around the hole, watching the fight, but Vegeta was the only one to move in the opposite direction: he whirled around and all but flew at Bulma, grasping her arms tightly. "How did Cell obtain Super Saiya-jin God?!" he roared.

Bulma stared into his eyes unflinchingly. "Eschalot."

Vegeta's anger faded at once as he gaped at her, his shock overwhelming everything else. Bulma could see his mind gradually putting the pieces together, though. And when he looked over his shoulder at Pikkon, she knew that he knew.

"What's an Eschalot?" Goku asked, and he was clearly not the only one thinking this. Vegeta never had gotten around to sharing his original idea for their daughter's name. Perhaps he'd been too embarrassed about Bulma getting her preference in first.

Bulma grasped Vegeta's face and turned it back to her. "Whis sent her here, Vegeta. So no matter how angry you are, no matter what she's done, don't forget: she's our daughter, and her gods sent her to us for a reason."

Vegeta frowned at her, but eventually nodded slightly. He was more than a little startled when Bulma suddenly leaned forward and kissed him, apparently quite happy with his agreement. His face red, Vegeta pulled away from her, then turned to watch the fight between Gohan and Cell. And he immediately formed the same opinion that nearly everyone else watching did: the fight was not going at all like he'd thought it would.

* * *

Dr. Briefs looked up from the robot was tinkering with, gazing curiously at his newest (by the order he'd met them in, not by age) granddaughter. Either due to his age or natural temperament, he tended to accept almost anything rather easily. Including a relative from another world. And Eschalot looked enough like Bulma - or more precisely, how Bulma used to look - that it was even easier to accept her. So he had.

It was difficult to say if the feeling was entirely mutual, however.

Eschalot had been polite enough to him. Stiff, but polite. More than anything, she seemed to take her cues from his wife. That was easy enough to understand, as his wife was rather hard to say no to. Although it seemed very much as if Eschalot simply wasn't used to having such a close-knit family. And that she definitely wasn't used to having grandparents. She had no idea how she was supposed to treat them. She didn't even seem sure if her liking them was allowed. Although who she would have had to answer to was something that puzzled him.

Eschalot suddenly turned and caught his gaze. "Jii-chan," she said slowly, clearly still unfamiliar addressing him that way, "I have a question."

"Yes? What is it, Escha-chan?"

Eschalot frowned, then jerked her left shoulder a bit, clearly indicating the black cat perched comfortably there. "This... little one. He won't get off."

"Oh." Dr. Briefs shrugged. "He won't bite you."

"I'm more interested in removing him, actually."

"Mmm. I don't think he looks too interested in that, though."

Eschalot scowled. "Jii-chan. Please."

Dr. Briefs tried very hard not to smile. "Sorry, Escha-chan."

With a huff, Eschalot glared at the small cat, who stared back at her calmly. "What do you want from me?" she demanded of him.

"I don't know about your world, but here? They don't talk back to us," Dr. Briefs pointed out.

Eschalot spared him a withering look, then tried poking the cat. He merely raised a paw and batted at her intruding finger, thinking it a fun game. And if she tried to poke hard enough to dislodge him, then he dodged with surprising speed.

"Is it such a problem that he likes you?" Dr. Briefs finally asked.

Eschalot stared at him, as if this had never occurred to her. "But why...?"

"Does he need a reason? You never asked why I liked you."

"That is different. We are... family," Eschalot said slowly.

"And who says he isn't?"

Eschalot frowned and gave up for the moment, though she still shot the cat a dirty look every few seconds. He responded by calmly washing himself.

Trying much harder not to laugh, Dr. Briefs made a final adjustment to the robot he was working on, then screwed the back panel into place. "All done here, I think. Let's see how he turned out."

Eschalot looked up as the robot, which greatly resembled a green ball, began to slowly roll around the room, making soft beeps and flashing tiny lights every so often. "What is its purpose?"

"Oh, just something to entertain Bra for a while."

Eschalot frowned, immediately losing interest, which Dr. Briefs noted.

"I could make you something, too, if you want."

Eschalot seemed slightly alarmed and embarrased by the offer. "No, that isn't neces-"

"Try this." Dr. Briefs tossed what looked like a box full of wristbands at her.

"What are-?"

"Anti-gravity bands. I know, you're about to tell me that you can fly. But I bet you haven't gotten as strong as you are without someone trying to get in your way. Some people can be rather dedicated about it, let me tell you, and at some point, some mad scientist is going to slap you in a deathtrap that you can't fly out of, and then you'll be thinking, 'Should have listened to my jii-chan' as the walls close in."

Eschalot blinked. In that context, she gained a new appreciation for the gift... sort of. In his own way, he was trying to keep her safe. And since he couldn't do it with his own power, he offered his technology instead. It was a practical gift. She couldn't really imagine herself needing them, but she wouldn't discard them, either. Just in case.

* * *

With every blow, two things deepened in Gohan: his awe at Bulma's intelligence, and his fear of the monster she had summoned.

Cell had been exactly right. As much as Gohan was awarded the credit for defeating Cell, it had very much been a team effort in the end. And Gohan wasn't sure what was worse: that he had allowed the credit for that victory to go to his head, or that he hadn't built upon it and driven himself to keep getting stronger on his own. When the next great threat had come along, he had been severely unprepared, and it had once against resulted in losses too great to allow.

And the threat before him now was just as formidable as Majin Buu had been back then.

First, it became apparent right away that Cell, despite clearly holding back, was both stronger and faster than Gohan. This in itself was not a problem, at least not at first. But when Gohan increased his power, Cell did so by the exact same degree, which kept him well ahead of Gohan in all areas.

Next, and far more worrying, Cell was _not_ trying to kill Gohan. Even defeating Gohan was not Cell's primary goal, because he could have done that quickly, and they both knew that almost immediately. Over time, as he had faced increasingly stronger opponents, Gohan had recognized something: through the clash of fists, a certain amount of instinctive knowledge could be passed between two fighters. This was true even of normal, full-blooded humans. It was also something that could not be taught effectively. It could only be learned through combat, and even then, it could take years to truly understand the glimpses in any dependable way.

But there was no mistaking what Gohan was sensing now: Cell wanted to humiliate and humble Gohan. Gohan's claim to fame being Cell's defeat was something that Cell could not, would not accept. And this fight was not going to end until that wrong was righted. But it would not be enough, for Gohan to admit defeat, or to lose in an undisputed way. This would only end when they both recognized, and in Gohan's case, admitted, who the stronger one was. Gohan could only admit that when he truly believed and knew it to be true. And he would only know it when he saw no possible way to defeat Cell alone.

And at the rate things were going, Gohan did not believe that realization was far off at all.

Cell's blows were too fast to avoid consistently, but heavy enough where Gohan could not absorb them for much longer. The crimson aura around Cell was only glowing brighter and larger as the fight went on, while Gohan's defenses were steadily weakening. It was only a matter of time before the fight reached the inevitable conclusion.

"I've been watching, you know," Cell said abruptly, not slowing his pace for an instant. "There isn't much else to do, where I've been, except envy the living. You've been living the good life, Gohan. Wife, daughter, career. Everything seems to be coming up Gohan, doesn't it?"

"And you want that?" Gohan asked doubtfully.

"Of course not. Such things have never interested me, and never will. But there are no words to describe how seeing you gain all of that increases my hatred for you, Gohan. And you don't even know why, do you?"

"I don't," Gohan admitted.

"Because in the process, you locked away all of that lovely power that made you worth anything to me. And as you've grown older, the little strength you do gain grows stale and dwindles. Maybe your father cares too much to say it to you, but I will: you are such a disappointment, Gohan. If you dared to have the audacity to take credit for my defeat, then at the very least you should have remained the most powerful fighter on this planet until I returned to dethrone you. But what is the reality? You haven't fought for real in years. I so looked forward to this day, and you cannot even meet my expectations. I've outgrown you. Do you have any idea what that's like, to know that the one person you've existed to defeat, is no longer even worth the effort you put in to rise above them?"

"You haven't beaten m-"

Cell's tail lashed out, the tip stabbing Gohan just below the knee. Gohan cringed, even as Cell's right fist plowed into his head, knocking Gohan to his knees. Another heavy blow landed on Gohan's back, driving him to the ground.

"I could have ended this at any time, Gohan," Cell noted. "I was willing to drag this out, to see if you had any surprises for me. But you have nothing. So I want to hear you say it. And if you make me tell you what I want to hear, you will regret it."

Gohan slowly lifted his head, very mindful of Cell's twitching tail, which seemed eager to continue the fight. "Y-You are stronger than I am, Cell. I never defeated you in the Cell Games. You were prepared for this day, but I wasn't. I've wasted your time. I'm sorry."

Cell's tail whipped forward, the stinger poised just inches from Gohan's face.

"That's all I needed to hear, Gohan. But don't get the wrong idea. As satisfying as that was, you and I are not done." Cell knelt down, staring into Gohan's eyes. "You haven't trained well enough, it's true. You are no longer my rival. But you were once, and you can be again."

"I-I don't undestand," Gohan murmured.

"Get stronger in the Tournament of Power," Cell said simply. "Much, much stronger. Because the next time we fight, I will strike to kill, and I won't stop until you are dead. So if you expect to go home to your wife and child, be worthy of my effort, and be strong enough to be worthy of them. Or maybe I should be asking your father to fight me for you?" With that final insult, Cell grabbed Gohan, tossed him over one shoulder, and flew back to the conference room.

* * *

"So... who is that guy again?" Goten muttered, frowning at the cards in his hand.

"Some relative of Dende's, obviously," Trunks replied, placing a card on the table. "We're supposed to keep an eye on him or something."

"Why? He's not doing anything."

The boys glanced over at Mame, who was doing what he'd been doing since they'd found him: sitting quietly in a corner of the lab with his eyes closed. If not for the constant rise and fall of his chest, they might have wondered if he was even still alive.

Trunks shrugged. "I dunno, my mom said it was important."

"This is boring. At least when they ask us to watch Marron, she does stuff."

Trunks could not argue with that. Marron was a girl and younger than them, which wasn't really fun, but she liked to watch them do pretty much anything, which made her sort of cool. Or at least not a brat, so he didn't mind her too much. Pan, he _did_ mind, because she was even younger than Marron, and yet stronger than most adults. But, being a baby, she wasn't allowed to train with them, even though Trunks had a feeling she'd be awesome in a fight, as long as it didn't last too long or involve too many distracting noises. If she ever learned to throw her dirty diapers with any real accuracy, she'd be unstoppable.

Either girl would have been a welcome distraction now, though. Card games didn't really measure up when you could fly or blast through walls, no matter what grandparents claimed.

It was at this point that Mame decided to become terribly interesting.

Trunks was the first to notice the strange hissing noise, and when he started to ask if Goten heard it, too, Goten gasped loudly, and Trunks followed his gaze.

There was a strange, blue-tinted vapor rising from Mame's body. Mame kept on sleeping, though.

"Dende's people don't do stuff like that, do they?" Goten asked.

Trunks shook his head. "Goten, we only know one person who steam comes out of, and he isn't green. He isn't even really a person, and he doesn't come from Dende's planet. This is just weird."

"So, we should tell someone, right?"

"Please don't do that, boys," said a familiar voice.

Both boys froze, gaping as the vapor rapidly formed an equally familiar shape overhead that slowly drifted down to them.

"Trunks," Goten said slowly, his eyes wide, "I think your mom is a ghost."

Trunks frowned as his eyes took in the details of the vapor woman. "She might be a ghost," he muttered, his gaze locking on the large, jagged scar that covered the woman's left eye and much of her face, "but she's not my mom."

The woman glanced between them, and smiled hesitantly. "You're right, Trunks. I'm not your mother. And you aren't my Sansai. But that doesn't mean we aren't still family."

* * *

With the demonstration out of the way, no one questioned that Cell was strong enough to be on the team. His motives, however, were questioned extensively, while Whis calmly repaired the damaged wall with a tap of his staff. Cell expected this and was prepared for the questions.

Cell had no need to pursue the other androids anymore, as he proved by showing he still had access to his Perfect form. Curiously, Androids 17 and 18 had been among those who hadn't tried to attack Cell as soon as he appeared. When questioned, Android 17 pointedly stated that there only two possible reasons for Cell's confidence: Cell had to have retained his Perfect form, and must have grown far past the point where absorbing either Android would have done him any good. So neither 17 nor 18 felt threatened by him. They didn't like him, but any fear they had of him was in the past. Also, they were confident that if Cell did revert to his old ways, the targets of his revenge were more likely to be Saiya-jin, who had hindered his evolution, rather than androids, who had made his evolution possible.

Cell clearly still had considerable feelings toward Gohan, but Gohan himself was convinced that Cell would not try anything until the survival of their universe had been assured. And if Gohan of all people was willing to work with Cell, there really wasn't anyone else who could offer an effective protest. Least of all Krillin, who quickly agreed to resign from the team so that Cell could replace him. Krillin hadn't been happy about it, but there was no denying that despite never having trained under Master Roshi, Cell had a working knowledge of the Turtle Hermit Style that even some of its best students would have envied. And to tip the scales further in Cell's favor, he revealed a new ability that shocked even Bulma.

Gohan sheepishly asked Whis if he would be allowed to have a Senzu bean, since the tournament hadn't officially started yet, and Cell hadn't exactly gone easy on him. Before Whis could reply, Cell reached out and touched Gohan's shoulder, bathing his body in green light.

Whis allowed this, but he observed it with narrowed eyes. "That is Namekian healing."

This earned several stares.

"I'm aware," Cell said simply, smiling at him.

Goku scratched his head. "Hey, Piccolo, I didn't know you knew-"

"I don't," Piccolo said sharply. "He didn't get that from my cells. And there's no way he could have gotten it from Dende, either."

Cell's smile widened. "If you're interested, I don't mind telling you where I learned it."

"I'm less interested in how, and more in why," Gohan admitted. "Cell, there's no reason for you to know that technique. Your Namekian DNA allows you to regenerate. What reason could you possibly have to learn healing?"

"How fitting that the very reason, would ask me that question," Cell replied. " _I_ can regenerate. _You_ cannot. I learned it solely to help my teammates, of course. As it is a natural ability, it is permitted in the Tournament of Power." He glanced at Whis, who nodded. "Really, it's very short-sighted that none of you has found a way to address this rather obvious issue before now. You can't always rely on Senzu beans in the middle of a fight, can you?"

Goku looked as if he were about to say that, yes, they pretty much always had, but Vegeta shot him a scathing glare that made him think twice.

"If there are no further substitutions," Whis said, and he paused to glance at Bulma, who shook her head, "then we should prepare to depart."

"Oh, hey!" Goku said suddenly. "If we're allowed to recruit dead bad guys, then we shouldn't forget Fr-"

"I'm quite sure there is not enough time to collect whoever you're thinking of," Whis interrupted. "Although, why you did not suggest that person in the previous 40 hours we had to recruit, is beyond me. Perhaps it is lucky that someone else was so concerned with recruiting."

Goku laughed nervously. "Forget I said anything, then."

"Trust me, I am trying to."

* * *

The moment she sensed that Team Universe 7 was no longer at Capsule Corp, Eschalot made her move. Or tried to.

She had only gotten two steps outside of her new grandfather's "office" when she was ambushed.

"Hi! I'm Goten!"

Eschalot spun around, fists automatically raised, only to come face to face with Goten, who was hovering slightly in the air and beaming at her. She lowered her fists only slightly, but did not relax her stance otherwise. It was not so much that she feared at attack from him, but that she refused to drop her guard entirely around this boy. It would be too easy to do so, to forget that he was not who her instincts insisted he was.

He was not Satsumi. Even if he had her cheerful eyes. And even if he had been Satsumi, that brutish girl was even more likely to greet Eschalot with a friendly punch aimed at the face, just to keep them both sharp. From what Eschalot had seen, Trunks was the child more likely to do that, in this world.

"You don't talk much, huh?" Goten asked.

"You... what do you want?" Eschalot finally asked, frowning at him.

"I can't be nice?"

"I'd prefer if you weren't."

Goten blinked. "No one has ever said that to me."

"Go away now."

"I'm not sure I really understand girls yet, but I think Master Roshi would yell at me if I just gave up on a pretty girl so fast."

Eschalot's opinion of Goten lowered considerably upon hearing that, but she had not missed the compliment within the statement, or the genuine way in which Goten had said it. Like it was a fact.

"Your cheeks are red," Goten noted. "It looks nice on you."

"Wha... shut up!" Eschalot snapped.

Goten floated back a few feet. "That wasn't so nice."

"Do I have to blast you to get rid of you?!" Eschalot demanded.

Goten's face lit up. "You'll have to do a lot more than that, pretty lady."

Eschalot blanched as Goten began to power up. He was exactly like Satsumi, and he would probably be just as impossible to ditch. However, Satsumi knew what Eschalot was capable of, and Goten didn't. Maybe showing him that he was severely outclassed would be the fastest way to shake him off. She certainly couldn't have him following her for the rest of her time in this world.

It was Goten's turn to be surprised as Eschalot dropped to all fours, then arched her body up, putting all of her weight on her extended fingers and toes. She looked less like she was about to fight, and more like she was about to attempt to flee. "What are you doing?" he finally asked.

Eschalot just gave him a feral grin, her eyes flashing green in a way that Goten recognized and responded to in kind at once. The twin golden auras enveloped them both, but where Goten's expanded to fill the corridor, Eschalot's tightened and thinned, in a way Goten had never seen before. And then he noticed something very curious. There was one place where Eschalot's aura had not thinned, but actually thickened, as if she were planning to use it to attack. But Goten couldn't decide why that place would be her tail.

Either because he was too distracted by the tail, or because he had no idea what to expect, or because she was just that much faster than him, Goten was unable to follow Eschalot when she finally did move. One instant, her tail was waving lazily in the air behind her. In the next, Eschalot was behind him, and her tail was wrapped tightly around Goten's throat, cutting off his air. Goten thrashed about helplessly as he struggled to break her tail's grip.

"Saiya-jin don't have this transformation in your world," Eschalot noted. "And on this planet, you apparently get rid of your tails entirely. So allow me to educate you, Goten. We call this Super Saiya-jin Tail. We train our tails until they are as strong as any limb, and this form enhances that strength, and our speed, even further. My sensei liked to say it was a callback to our roots, a reminder that at heart, we are still animals. But you... you either had that instinct bred out of you, or supressed to the extent where it needs to be woken up, to be of any use to you." Eschalot paused, internally questioning what she was about to do, but coming to a decision all too quickly. "Let me open your eyes, Goten."

The first blow sent agony racing up Goten's spine and blood flying from his mouth. But then another came, and another, and another, and through the growing haze of pain, Goten understood, somehow, that Eschalot wasn't trying to injure or kill him. But he also understood that whatever she was doing would hurt like hell, and even if it did help him tap into some unknown power down the road, it would be a long time before he ever felt like thanking her for it.

* * *

"So... _that_ went fast," Yamcha noted.

"Too fast," Master Roshi agreed. "You know, when Bulma said she had something to keep us busy, I was hoping there would be some pretty, young girls involved."

"There _is_ a pretty, young girl involved! You insisted that I be one the whole time!" Puar whined.

Roshi giggled drunkenly as Puar's buxom chest bounced while she stomped her foot. "Don't be like that, Puar! Training with you really did help me out... but since it turns out I'm not going to the Tournament of Power at all, and I did do all that training, I think this old man deserves a treat!"

Puar groaned in dismay. "If it wasn't for Yamcha-sama, I'd _never_ do this again!"

Oolong sighed and buried his nose in the girly magazine he'd been reading. He appreciated women as much as any other pig, but he simply had too much pride to ogle Puar. She was practically like a sister to him, so it would have just been... _wrong_. And not in the kinky way that he liked.

Around them lay the smoldering remains of tanks, jeeps, and helicopters. The poachers couldn't really be blamed for underestimating them. Yamcha likely would have done the same if he saw an old man, a retired baseball player, a cat, and a pig.

It wasn't _exactly_ Team Universe 7... but Yamcha wasn't going to ignore the call, so long as he was needed somewhere. Goku and the others would save the universe, and when they got back, Android 17's island would be just as secure as it had been when he left it.

Yamcha's attention was drawn by rumbling in the distance. "Sounds like more poachers on the way. I'll give them one thing, they don't give up."

"And I guess it's my job to be bait again?" Oolong grumbled. "Maybe a dinosaur this time?"

"Turn into whatever creature you want. Don't worry, they won't get anywhere near you. We already know those tanks aren't Kamehameha-proof."

"Why don't you handle them alone this time, Yamcha?" Master Roshi suggested, leering at Puar.

Yamcha shook his head. "Fine, old man. But I've given Puar permission to defend her virtue, if you get handsy. So don't say I didn't warn you."

* * *

Gohan had known that keeping Team Universe 7 together, or at least, acting together, would be a huge challenge. They proved this by splitting up almost immediately after arriving on the tournament stage.

Whis went straight to a distant platform, where Zeno and his entourage were located.

Goku went on his own to greet the team from Universe 11.

Vegeta was soon approached by a trio of Saiya-jin from Team Universe 6. Gohan caught one of the female Saiya-jin shooting him a few curious glances, but she looked away quickly when he tried to meet her gaze.

Androids 17 and 18, for some reason, wanted to check out the team from Universe 3. They returned quickly, claiming loudly to be unimpressed, something that Universe 3 clearly was not too happy about.

The biggest surprise was Buu, who until then seemed focused primarily on eating. But he abruptly dropped the cake in his hands, and made a beeline for Team Universe 2, which put all of them on high alert. Apparently, word of Buu's performance at the Zeno Exhibition Match had spread to the other universes. Oddly enough, when Mr. Satan requested help in dragging Buu back to the group, it was Cell who volunteered first. Gohan could not even begin to guess what had drawn Buu's attention, unless Buu had mistaken one of the Universe 2 fighters for food. Even when Buu returned, he kept staring longingly at Universe 2's team, and unless Gohan was very much mistaken, Buu seemed to have eyes for the trio of females standing at the heart of the lineup.

By that point, Gohan was just glad that, as expected, Piccolo, Pikkon, and Tien gave him no cause to worry, and remained in a tight group with him.

Whis returned with somewhat good news: Buu was indeed allowed to eat opponents, but would be disqualified if any of them died while in his "care". However, no one that was eaten would be considered eliminated until they left the platform entirely. This would be tricky for Buu, since he was not in the habit of spitting out anything or anyone he ate, but after Mr. Satan made a point of repeating the ruling six times, Buu claimed he understood. Whis made a point of mentioning that the ruling applied to Cell as well, who only grinned and nodded.

Gohan gathered the team for one last meeting before the tournament began, hoping to once again stress the importance of working together. But he could tell his strategy wasn't really being taken seriously.

"Actually," Cell said, "if no one minds, I think I will shadow Goku, to start off. He always gets himself into the most interesting battles."

Goku smirked. "Fine with me. If you really think you can keep up, that is."

Cell just smiled. "I'll manage, somehow."

Gohan wasn't sure if he should be pleased that Goku and Cell weren't opposed to teamwork, or worried that Goku didn't seem concerned by Cell's interest in it. But surely even Cell could see that betraying the team before the tournament even began was good for none of them. And it was too late to make changes now. "Good luck, everyone," Gohan finally said.

And again, Cell grinned, as if he knew a great deal that they didn't. "We won't need it, Gohan. We have already won." He locked eyes with his old foe, and his grin widened. "Trust me."

 **End of Part 2.**

* * *

 **Concluded in Eschalot's Dragon, Part 3**

The tournament unfolds, surprises happen, someone wins, and others lose.

* * *

 **Endnotes:**

In a slight departure from Saiya-jin naming being vegetable-based, Satsumi comes from Satsuma, a seedless citrus fruit. I was thinking of naming her after a sweet potato (satsuma imo), but came across this and liked it better. I think all Kakarot's daughters will be named after fruit. Sons (as in the family Son, not the boys) always dare to be different.

 **Master Roshi and Mafuba** : I had a debate with someone who claimed that Master Roshi was vital to the team because of his use of Mafuba. I argued there are two flaws with that.

1) Mafuba was instrumental in defeating only one person. A person who was stronger than Roshi, one of the weakest members of the team. Had someone stronger (an angel-trained Pikkon, for example) filled that spot, they wouldn't have needed Mafuba at all. So it was only vital for _Roshi_ , in that _one battle_ , because _he lacked the power to defeat the enemy directly_. And that's the way Mafuba was always intended to be used: when you lack the amount or type of power necessary to just defeat someone directly. It's a last resort that need not be used if you're strong or ready enough.  
2) Mafuba is a teachable move. Meaning Roshi could have taught it to anyone or arguably everyone on the team, without being on the team himself. In fact, the best thing he could have done was taught it to the entire team, which would guarantee at least ten uses, if it in fact was so vital. But it wasn't. Even worse, Frost countered the move and used it against Vegeta. And the enemy Roshi eliminated with Mafuba was no Vegeta. So if anything, Mafuba was way too risky to bring to the tournament.  
So Pikkon replaces Roshi here. And Pikkon, being much stronger than Roshi, would not need Mafuba if he fought the exact same opponents that Roshi did. Which is my point. Mafuba wasn't vital, like Ultra Instinct and Blue were. Those were absolutely vital, and if Goku hadn't used them, Vegeta or Gohan would have needed to. I even debated having Roshi teach Mafuba to Pikkon, but realized there would be no point. Pikkon wouldn't need it, and even if it was needed, Goku knows it. Which you might have forgotten, what with him _not using it at all_ during the tournament.

Cell replaces Krillin instead of Tien for one reason: Android 18's teamwork with Android 17 seems far more vital to the team than Android 18's teamwork with Krillin. But I will admit that Krillin lasting longer than Tien likely has less to do with power and more to do with brains. And if you need proof that Krillin is smarter, just ask Tien's hot wife. Go on, I'll wait.

I know some will take issue with Cell beating Gohan. Let me remind you of the circumstances. Cell's body automatically learns any technique deemed useful that is possible for him to learn. Thanks to Eschalot, he has three new Super Saiya-jin transformations, and had a year in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to master them. Frieza needed four months to gain a new form. The time Cell needs to gain a power is much, much shorter, and he was already much stronger than Frieza when each of them started training, so I'm assuming Cell could master a form in less than four months. As for Gohan... getting back in fighting shape is one thing, but getting back to your peak is another. Gohan got back in fighting shape. Whenever Gohan was truly at his peak, he was the strongest person on Earth. But that wasn't true at any point in Super. And that's the difference. Gohan may be stronger than he's ever been, but he's been surpassed by those who never stopped training, or at least have been training more than he has. Cell wouldn't be distracted by thoughts of family or a job. Apparently there's nothing worthwhile for bad guys to do in the afterlife except train and plot their revenge. And since Buu didn't stay dead, Cell should be the strongest one there.

 **DBZ, Super, GT, and Xenoverse** : Someone asked me not to connect Super to GT for various reasons. There are several reasons why I choose to.  
1) GT is flawed, and arguably non-canon... but it is a continuation, in that it takes place after DBZ. So while I can respect that no event that happens in GT may ever occur in the main timeline... I can also respect that a few of them might. No, I hope half the cast NEVER makes such horrible hair choices. But I can easily imagine Vegeta's daughter being spoiled rotten, and never fighting because Bulma had more say in how she grew up. Or Marron having no interest in learning to fight because neither of her parents pushed her to. And, what a shock, Super supports both ideas. So maybe GT didn't get it totally wrong.

2) The same person also asked me to consider elements of Xenoverse. Fine. But it hardly seems fair to me, to pretend GT doesn't exist and Xenoverse does. Why, because Xenoverse is better written, takes place alongside the DBZ timeline, and doesn't have as many glaring errors? Uh... okay, I admit those ARE very valid reasons. BUT, there is one aspect of Xenoverse that I cannot and will not ever support, due to sheer personal dislike of it. It's not even an error, I just really, really, _really_ don't like it. So, I either have to ignore Xenoverse entirely due to one personal gripe, or pick and choose what I include from it. If I can do that for Xenoverse, I can certainly do it for GT.

3) GT aside, simply making Super canon causes two major issues for DBZ that have yet to be fixed (which, again, is part of the reason I'm doing this story at all). As fans, we know Super, its transformations, and characters, hadn't been invented in DBZ's final episodes. But now that they have been, that ending needs revision. Goku either needs to forget ALL the transformations he learned in Super, or lose access to them some other way (Super initiates the process by having him forget how to access Ultra Instinct. Maybe by the time Pan can fly around the world by herself, he'll have forgotten Blue and God, too). Him still having those at DBZ's end, and not using them, is a bad idea. Because then you need a solid reason why Goku would use Blue against Krillin in Super, and not transform at all against teen Goten in DBZ. How can you justify Goku's strongest transformation against a human who doesn't transform, and no transformation against someone who learned to do it earlier and easier than Goku himself did? Even stranger, Goten wanted to win, so the idea that he wouldn't transform first makes it even stranger. Granted, this is _base Goku_ we're talking about, but that doesn't change the fact that him fighting in base after Namek is almost never considered him fighting seriously, given the higher forms he has access to, and it's not like Goten couldn't step it up if Goku did first.  
Transformations are just half of the issue, though. The other half is Beerus and Whis, and how they would never be seen or mentioned again after Super. Even Goku would not forget someone stronger than him. And even if he did, what, the entire rest of the cast did, too? How likely is Bulma to forget instant, painless baby delivery? So unless in the upcoming movie, Broly punches the planet so hard that everyone hits their head and forgets anything related to Beerus and Whis, Super doesn't fit DBZ's end all that well currently.

4) The simplest reason why I don't ignore GT... is because I started this story with an idea of how Super can end and still fit comfortably within DBZ, and thus still lead into GT. And it still mostly works, even with Super's end in mind, as far as I'm concerned. So... still gonna do it. So if you can't get on board with a timeline based in Super's framework that has a few elements of Xenoverse, but still assumes that some of GT is going to happen eventually... this isn't the story for you. And if it's _that_ important to you, I encourage you to write your own fanfic where everything happens exactly how you want it to. I did, and it feels great!

Okay, fine, I'll tell you exactly what I hate (yes, _hate_ ) about Xenoverse: they gave Mr. Satan a power-up. Yes, it is a tiny thing to be picky over, but I am _incredibly_ picky about it. He has his uses, but they are all firmly _outside_ the realm of serious combat. To do this is like making the farmer with the shotgun the new king of Earth. Honestly, the planet would probably implode with a non-canine king running things after generations of glorious dog rule. Just imagine the chaos!


End file.
